FBCS Run-Off Poll: Riftwar v. Malazan

Fantasy Book Club Series’s read book montage

Fantasy Book Club Series 193 members

Can’t resist the lure of a soaring epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery,…
 

Books we’ve read

Stormed FortressStormed Fortress
by Janny Wurts
Start date: December 1, 2010

Traitor's KnotTraitor’s Knot
by Janny Wurts
Start date: November 1, 2010

Peril's GatePeril’s Gate
by Janny Wurts
Start date: October 1, 2010

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Fantasy Book Club Series (GoodReads) Selecting Next Series to Group Read

Polls open until midnight Saturday night (15 January 2011).

Fantasy Book Club Series’s bookshelf: read

Fantasy Book Club Series 190 members

Can’t resist the lure of a soaring epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery,…
 

Books we’ve read

Stormed Fortress
Stormed Fortress
by Janny Wurts
Start date: December 1, 2010
Traitor's Knot
Traitor’s Knot
by Janny Wurts
Start date: November 1, 2010
Peril's Gate
Peril’s Gate
by Janny Wurts
Start date: October 1, 2010

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Members are Selecting the Next Series for Group Read

A dozen fantasy series were nominated, including Black Jewell by Anne Bishop; Corean Chronicles by L.E. Modesitt Jr.; Deverry by Katharine Kerr; Tales of the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee; Fortress by C.J. Cherryh; Inda by Sherwood Smith; Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist; Malazon Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson; Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock; Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan; Saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.; and Windrose Chronicles by Barbara Hambly

Results of the poll will automatically be visible after midnight on Saturday 15 January 2011.

FBCS Nominations Average Ratings (from GoodReads)
Series Author Number Published All Avg Ratings Total Avg Rating for Series
Black Jewels Bishop, Anne 9 36.89 4.10
Corean Chronic
les
Modesitt, L.E., Jr. 7 26.69 3.81
Deverry Kerr, Katherine 15 55.92 3.73
Flat Earth Lee, Tanith 5 21.01 4.20
Fortress Cherryh, C.J. 5 18.69 3.74
Inda Smith, Sherwood 4 16.28 4.07
Riftwar Saga Fesit, Raymond E. 4 16.27 4.07
Malazan Book of the
Fallen
Erikson, Steven 9 38.48 4.28
Mythago Wood Holdstock, Robert 5 19.27 3.85
Riyria Revelations Sullivan, Michael J. 5 20.35 4.07
Saga of Recluce Modesitt, L.E., Jr. 16 61.81 3.86
Windrose Chronicles Hambly, Barbara 4 15.45 3.86

Book Review: Grand Conspiracy by Janny Wurts

Grand Conspiracy (Wars of Light & Shadow #5; Arc 3 - Alliance of Light, #2)Grand Conspiracy by Janny Wurts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Each novel peels back layer upon layer, revealing more of the motivations between several key players and philosophies, making it nigh impossible to summarize any plot points, including the myriad conspiracies plaguing Paravia, without spoiling what was, what is and what is yet to come. The last three chapters’ pace proved unrelenting, even unto the final triplet.

I’ll be picking up the next novel (Peril’s Gate) within the week to continue this outstanding series.

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Book Review: Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (5 stars)

Under Heaven
by Guy Gavriel Kay

5 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2010

Shen Tai mourns his father for over two years by burying the bones of the dead in a vast battlefield on the western edge of the Kitan empire. A backbreaking labor of grace daily and the company of the restless shades of soldiers nightly. He gains the respect of friend and foe and the attention of women in high places with influence, intrigue and power. The unfathomable gift of two hundred and fifty horses from a rival empire courtesy of a Kitan princes sent as tribute sets Shen’s life adrift on the high tide of potentially lethal imperial politics. He receives unlooked for and unlikely assistance from several women as he travels from the far western reaches to the very center of the Kitan empire in Xinan: a well trained assassin, Wei Song, sent by a former courtesan of the northwestern district previously known as Spring Rain and a former dancer now the favored courtesan of the emperor himself.

Even though we only ever see one of the famous Sardian horses for much of the novel, Shen repeatedly attempts to exchange them for knowledge of his sister and her rescue from the Bogu barbarians of the north, since his own older brother, now adviser to the prime minister, allowed her to be elevated to an imperial princes and sent as a tribute bride to the Bogu leader. But not even the most powerful players on this corrupted game board can assist Shen with his quest.

Kay delivers sweeping epic vistas of the open grass steppe and the heart-stopping gut-wrenching frenzy of court intrigue and rebellion. No other prose flows so seamlessly as Kays, completely engulfing me in the world he unfolds before me.

My only quibble with this novel, and which almost made me drop my rather to four or four and a half stars, was with the ending. Shifting to third person and a more remote historical sagacious point of view distanced me from the characters just as the story culminated and resolved. I still enjoyed the novel immensely, though, and highly recommend it.

Nominations Open for the Next Series Read

Join the Fantasy Book Club Series group on GoodReads and help us select our next fantasy series to read as a group. Follow this link to the nominations discussion thread.

Fantasy Book Club Series’s bookshelf: read

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Fantasy series discussions with book giveaways
Nominations currently open fo…

Books we’ve read

The Curse of the Mistwraith
The Ships of Merior
Warhost of Vastmark
Fugitive Prince
Grand Conspiracy
Stormed Fortress
Peril's Gate
Traitor's Knot

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Book Review: Towers of Midnight

Towers of Midnight (Wheel of Time, #13; Memory of Light, #2)Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The tangled knot of plot threads weave a tapestry of convergence. The Last Hunt begins, prelude to the Last Battle.

Of the main characters, Perrin’s growth and acceptance sealed him as the rising, shining star among the brilliant cluster of Two Rivers misfits out to save or damn the world. Mat’s character surprised me most this novel. Normally, I skim through chapters devoted to Mat’s point of view. Not so this time around. I wonder if I’m seeing Brandon’s influence on Mat or if Jordan’s plan included more maturity for Matriam at this point in the epic. The Aes Sedai (Nynaeve, Egwene, Cadsuane and even Elaida, briefly) had their moments, but the support staff (i.e. Warders) shined. Lan, Gawyn, Galad (by osmosis mostly as Gawyn’s step brother), Brigitte – all received long overdue attention. I wanted more from Aviendha’s thread. Rand and Min sporadically pounced in and out of various hot spots, spectacularly so in Maradon.

With the end so close, I fear I’ll break with the strain of waiting another year (or more) for the epic conclusion to a saga I started over two decades ago.

It’s darkest before the dawn … or the end of all things. Tarmon Gai’don breaks.

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Join our online discussion at the GoodReads Fantasy Book club where Brandon Sanderson will be answering questions about The Towers of Midnight and his own new epic fantasy series The Stormlight Archives novel The Way of Kings.

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For lovers of Fantasy, monthly book discussions
Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts at FBC Series

 

Books we’ve read

The Way of Kings
The Way of Kings
 

by Brandon Sanderson

Start date: November 1, 2010

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Book Review: The Magic of Recluce

The Magic of Recluce (The Saga of Recluce, #1)The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent world building and superb magic system with an annoyingly dense but affable young adult protagonist on a quest. Lerris is ‘the chosen one’ but for all the wrong reasons or completely mysterious hidden reasons until he’s painted himself into a corner with his fumbling choices. Lerris isn’t burdened with a prophecy, but he resists the status quo of Recluce. Lerris is just your typical young adult with attention deficit disorder (i.e., he’s bored and finds everything boring), but Recluce doesn’t prescribe Ritalin. Somewhat like extreme Amish, Recluce peacefully forces their misfits to either exile permanently or go on dangergeld (similar to rumspringa but with a quest attached), during which they must decide if they can return to Recluce and succumb to its creed and worldview (seeking perfection in Order). This novel follows Lerris on his journey as a dangergelder until he understands all that Recluce embodies and effects, and reaches his decision.

If you are looking for a story with character growth, Lerris’ journey as an exile from Recluce will fit that bill. If you are looking for a new fantasy world with a detailed history, divergent societies, a logical robust magic system, with a different spin on the age-old struggle between angels and demons, good and evil, black and white, order and chaos, then you’ve come to the right story and series.

Modesitt’s Recluce series reminds me of Asimov’s robot stories. He sets up a scenario with some basic, seemingly simple rules (for example, Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics and Modesitt’s Order/Chaos balance system as glimpsed through snippets of The Basis of Order) and proceeds to challenge those rules with his world and its characters. While each novel adds a piece of the broader puzzle, for the most part, like this first one, the books stand alone quite well.

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November is L.E. Modesitt, Jr. month at the GoodReads SciFi and Fantasy Book Club.  The author will be joining in the discussions of both books later this month.

 

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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club 3980 members

Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club! 

SciFi Czar: Brad
Fantasy Czar: Cindy

PLEASE NOTE:…

 


 

Books we’re currently reading

Haze
Haze 

by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

Start date: November 1, 2010


The Magic of Recluce
The Magic of Recluce 

by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

Start date: November 1, 2010




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