Category: Book Reviews

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Lanaran of Ends is heading an expedition in this fantasy adventure of the eminent Wizard of Ends, Lashlor Leaflin, who is tasked with working with his old flame, Rune, to rescue King Axim from kidnappers who have escaped with the king to the Mountains of Eclador. Rune is a magic user in her own right, and was the more interesting of the characters in this book, since she had to find a way into and out of the mountains for the band, and pit herself against an enemy magic user who may have been more accomplished than her.

There’s the worrying prospect that Lashlor’s band may not make it out of the Mountains of Eclador at all, since they’re trapped by old magic that is likely set by the magic user among the kidnappers, and tracking them proves more difficult than they imagined. Who are the kidnappers and what do they want?

The Wizard of Ends #3 is an intriguing fantasy adventure with a good pace that keeps events moving forward, involving druids, kingdoms, treachery, sieges, magical beasts, and the nature of the world itself. There was always something happening, and I’ve always enjoyed the author’s command of language and the ample dose of dignified humour she injects into her characters, which, though subtle at times, makes the characters’ circumstances fun to read about. King Lanaran, for example, was a king who likes to think he’s in control with his righteous fury, yet his clashes with Rune prove the exact opposite.

There were a few things I’d have liked more exploration of, such as how the magical creature traversed the mountains, and what guided Lashlor to change his plan close to the end of the book.

I loved the part where the druid makes himself invisible and yet bumps into somebody, which maintained the sense of realism in the book for me, in the midst of a battle. This third book was an enjoyable reading experience, and though there are tough circumstances among the characters in this fantasy world, it’s a book that manages to lighten your day somehow!

Watch the Wizard of Ends book trailer:

https://youtu.be/_UGdrHxSXCE

Rogues in the House starts with a threat Nabonidus, the red priest and ruler of the city, makes to the young aristorcrat Murilo, which hints that Murilo should take voluntary exile.

Murilo suspects the red priest of having too much power and wishes to get rid of Nabonidus to save his own skin. Conan, the Cimmerian barbarian, agrees to help Murilo to kill Nabonidus in return for being set free after being imprisoned. But Murilo has another reason to take care of Nabonidus quickly: he fears the red priest has learned of his agreement with Conan through the guards.

If Murilo and Conan unite, they may discover Nabonidus has problems of his own, with a pre-evolved human.

Read my Conan reviews:

The Phoenix on the Sword

The Scarlet Citadel

The Tower of the Elephant

Black Colossus

Rogues in the House

This Conan story was about a resurrected sorcerer called Natohk, who has rallied much of the South-Eastern tribes in preparation for conquest. He enslaves a young Princess who he lusts for. However the Princess has replaced her Stygian faith for that of the Northern God Mitra. Mitra advises her to seek the help of the first warrior she meets in the streets. Unsurprisingly, she meets Conan!

In Black Colossus Conan has to take more responsibility by commanding an army. His level-headedness and stubborn logic are much needed in the impressive battle at the end of the story. There are very well described scenes of the battlefield’s features, as well as its progress.

I thought the conclusion was swift and decisive, even though it had familiar themes to many of Robert E Howard’s stories.

Read my Conan reviews:

The Phoenix on the Sword

The Scarlet Citadel

The Tower of the Elephant

Black Colossus

Rogues in the House

This Conan story focused on thievery. Conan hears about a gem called the Heart of the Elephant, and courageously seeks to procure it. However, he is not the only one; there is a skilled thief who has planned meticulously to seize the gem. Because of Conan’s relative ignorance, he soon has to take a cautious approach to tackling the Tower of the Elephant. It will not be easy, for vicious unearthly beasts guard the Tower, and nobody has yet succeeded.

This story was very exciting and concise. Robert E Howard’s flair for descriptive style is, in my opinion, unmatched. I like that, although there was a sorcerer in this story, Conan has to use a different approach to defeating him. The Tower of the Elephant was dark, surreal, and vividly magical. I will be reading his next story very soon!

Read my Conan reviews:

The Phoenix on the Sword

The Scarlet Citadel

The Tower of the Elephant

Black Colossus

Rogues in the House

This was another great Conan story, more complex than The Phoenix on the Sword. There is a battle described, and the consequences of treachery are explained more. There were more sorcery elements involved than with The Phoenix on the Sword.

The prose was fantastic as well. Some of the writing makes very good writing look stale: ‘As a thunderbolt strikes, Conan struck, hurtling through the ranks by sheer power and velocity’.

I must say, despite my observation that Conan stories tend to follow a predictable formula, they are getting better and are some of my most favourite sword-and-sorcery tales.

Read my Conan reviews:

The Phoenix on the Sword

The Scarlet Citadel

The Tower of the Elephant

Black Colossus

Rogues in the House

This was actually one of the original short stories by Robert E Howard — creator of Conan. I’ve been meaning to read more of his stories for a while. I remember having read Conan: The Conqueror, which was a very good read as well.

The story starts off with Conan as King Conan of Aquilonia, a civilized and mighty Kingdom in Robert E Howard’s world. It may appear odd to readers new to Conan stories that he is a King. His barbaric ways tend to run counter to the ways of a typical ruler in Aquilonia. In my mind Conan was ever the barbarian, and the muscle-packed warrior. However, the story develops quite well by introducing conspirators who threaten Conan’s rule for power and greed, and there is a bit of sorcery introduced.

Some of the sorcery seems a bit farfetched, but it is also done with a pinch of surprise and mysticism that is very pleasurable to read.

I hope to read another Robert E Howard story immediately.

Read my Conan reviews:

The Phoenix on the Sword

The Scarlet Citadel

The Tower of the Elephant

Black Colossus

Rogues in the House

 

This book was a fascinating insight into past and present astrology through the symbolism of the planets and how they relate to such things as karma, forgiveness, and valuing what we have instead of seeking it elsewhere. Not everything may relate to you, but it gives you a framework through which you can take your own journey towards healing, and I liked this.

My only criticism was that some of the terms were unfamiliar to me, not being acquainted with Indian astrology, or modern psychology, and so it felt like the author took some knowledge for granted from the reader. In a sense, although this book was useful for the beginner, more experienced readers with a cross-discipline interest may also benefit.

Nevertheless, I did feel I got what I wanted from the book, and more, and I’d be interested in reading more from this author.

The book on Goodreads

(Links to retailers are on Goodreads)

 

Goddess by David Wind is a sci-fi mystery/thriller – not necessarily your usual first contact or military sci-fi fare. There is the Guild tasked with finding planets suitable for exploration, and when First-In Scout Roke finds one suitable, Anadi, in a vein that looks at first similar to the Alien film franchise, he thinks he’s onto a winner.

Yet, you’re not reading an Alien film adaptation and it soon becomes clear there is plenty of interesting stuff happening anyway: strange rocks that Roke touches that he relates to dreams, fantasies, he has about this creature that is sometimes in the guise of a beautiful woman, and imaginative creatures that can give you the chills. Both have Roke’s senses on alert.

If you’re familiar with some of the themes author David Wind writes about you’ll notice he’s included good powers enriched by ancient earth tradition, and bad powers in new and unsuspecting guises. He’s delivering a future Earth in a galaxy where the dangers are far away and yet curiously close to home.

The enemy was introduced to early on, and what helps keep it interesting is that it still feels like we don’t really know who she is and what she’s capable of, and how Roke is going to use his psi abilities and ancient teachings to block the powers that have rendered his DNA compatible with hers, thus forcing them both to engage in enjoyable, yet compulsive sex, for the purpose of procreation. It’s addictive to Roke who must discover how to break free, and how he’s going to protect the human race from the same when the Guild decides to investigate.

I must say Goddess was fast-paced with much to keep reader interest. There weren’t too many sex scenes; they showed Roke’s struggle for his own mind and his motivations. I was intrigued where the story was going and how the new race would unlock the secrets of the universe.

Purchase Goddess by David Wind

 

You Are Not Broken (YANB) by author Rachael Gilliver is a statement to get you questioning the mistaken notion that circulates in your mind, for unexplained reasons, that you are broken. The author sets us off addressing the fact that we’re not meant to be the exact same as everyone else, whatever our mind tells us or whatever other people tell us.

YANB continues to be a relatable book, after its introductory chapters, about how people with mental health difficulties or diagnoses can confront and then rise above what holds them back, be this judgement, others’ expectations, or the past, using words to empower the reader into thinking about what’s possible. Sometimes exercises are given to challenge us to think differently, sometimes it’s that we just could be told that something else is possible, like YANB’s affirmation in prose, to feel better about ourselves.

I appreciated learning about the author’s own experience with mental health, which shows us she has been there and done that and has learnt lessons you, the reader, could be facing in your own life. The experience added richness and made it more relatable. I liked the ‘Not my monkeys, not my circus’ phrase the best!

You will finish reading feeling a few things: that you need to unburden yourself from more things, reassess who has a hold on you in life, go away feeling it’s confirmed you got life covered for now, or simply that the book just gave you a lift you needed at that time.

Purchase You Are Not Broken

As Good As It Gets by comedian Romesh Ranganathan is a candid background to his life, perspectives, and upbringing in the modern world before and during the pandemic. The number one thing I’d assume readers would be hoping for is that the book is funny, and it is! It doesn’t try too hard, and the prose isn’t too artificial; it fits with Romesh’s style as self-deprecating and with a fear of incompetence that I’m half-ashamed to say that we fans find amusing.

Having not read Romesh’s first book, I found the chapters that delve into his past with his mum, and then how his life changed once he became a comedian, to be refreshing and enriching. The chapter about holidays I found especially humorous. There are indeed valuable life lessons here about expectations on becoming a parent, handling middle age, tackling the modern world, and keeping life balanced with one’s partner/wife.