Blue Moon and Dune

Blue Moon

To be sure, I am behind the curve when when it comes to knowing good beer. So you will have to bare with me when I discover what’s already a well known fact. Blue Moon is good beer. If any of you haven’t yet had a chance to try it then you are missing out. I am a fan of blondes both the ladies and the beers. I like brunettes and redheads too, when it comes to women I’m not really picky. As for the beer though I only really like it when it’s light in color and easy on the palate. That’s exactly what Blue Moon is, and lately I have been having a hankering for it. Something about the smooth flavor with a slice of orange squeezed over the top is perfect on a hot summer day. This is a reasonably priced beer and you won’t look like either a snob or a dunce when you order one (something I’m in sore need of). All the varieties are great but the old standard Belgium White is what I usually order.


Dune

What is there to say about this masterpiece, that hasn’t already been said? This is hands down the greatest work of science fiction written in the english language (I don’t read russian or chinese, so who knows if they have better? I doubt it though). If you have seen the movie directed by David Lynch, before reading the book, don’t be put off. Personally I liked the movie, but to most it’s an incomprehensible mess. It only really rings true if you have read the book. Even then Lynch made a strange movie that’s not quite in sync with the book.

The story: young Paul Atreides is the ducal heir. His father and whole household has moved to Arrakis... Dune, desert planet. There Paul encounters the geriatric spice, or melange. The spice is the most prized resource in the universe. Used by powerful factions both to expand their minds and chart safe courses through space. There are many powerful factions fighting for control of Dune and the spice. Soon though they will come to loggerheads with Paul and the mysterious Fremen.  I won’t say more as I have no desire to ruin this book for anyone. I will say this though, If you haven’t yet read Dune you are missing out.

I feel like I should have more to say about Dune. All that really needs to be said is this: READ IT.

Shadows Linger

Shadows Linger
By Glen Cook
(2nd novel in the Black Company series)



Plowed through this one in about two days. May indeed be one of my favorite books I read this summer. I love the notion that you can write a fantasy novel without having to have this epic quest be the center of the drama. The characters in this novel fight for their right to survive, while murdering each other and backstabbing anyone who gets in their way. Rarely do I champion crazy murderers but this book really crossed my wires. I found my self rooting for an evil criminal half the time and rooting against him half the time.

Love hearing more about Croacker and Raven too. Very, very good tale.


Buy it here: Amazon

Kymburli

Apprentice to the world's deadlist assasin, Kymbuli's story is told in The Fall of Rienbect.

The novel is a historical look at the factors that led to the fall of the Rein Empire presented through a series of missives. The setting is noir fantasy with high magic, intense political intrigue and a realistic portrayal of wartime violence. Keegan Volx, an imp archmage, has created this text for his class at the Arcane Academy in Rienbect. Keegan narrates between missives and uses magical rituals as well as demon summoning to give his readers a voyeuristic perspective of the empire’s fall. Love, sex, murder, and political corruption are central themes in a game of espionage that leaves a city in chaos and an empire in civil war. The novel has a dark side similar to Joe Abercrombie’s The Blade Itself as well as an incredibly rich anthropology similar to Steven Erickson’s Gardens of The Moon.

The Way of Shadows

The Way of Shadows
by Brent Weeks

The Way of Shadows is the first book in the Night Angel Trilogy. This is a dark story of assassins or I should say wet-boys (assassination is a term for thugs as far as wet-boys are concerned). The story starts out with young Azoth an orphan and street urchin in a large city. We follow  our hero Azoth as he navigates this difficult world., finding a precarious balance in order to keep himself and a small group of friends alive. Without spoiling the story for you though this balance is soon overthrown and the young boy finds himself apprenticed to Durzo Blint, by far the most accomplished wet-boy in the city.

I have to say I was thoroughly engrossed throughout this book. I found I couldn’t put it down, often staying up late into the night reading into the wee hours of the morning. If I read for one more hour I can still get 4 hours of sleep before work... was a common refrain in my head. Though 4 would become 3 and 3 would become 2 and so on. Till I would groggily climb out of bed, still not wanting to put down the book. I wouldn’t say the plotting or character development of his series is the best. Or the love story to be honest. But the whole series is fun. He blends fun adventure and tragedy well. Though none of the individual elements of this series are the greatest, his series overall combines to be very entertaining. With some wonderful set pieces of great action and side characters that you just can’t get enough of (Lantano Garuwashi is a badass!! Vi is hot and sexy and tragic).

The series is on my re-read list. I hope to get to it in the next couple months so I can experience the wonder of the Night Angel terrorizing people and reawaken my love for Durzo and his brutal-seeming ways. Its a great series to get yourself lost in for a few weeks (or days in my case) from a new author to the genre. I can’t wait for him to finish up his next series. I have already read the first book, The Black Prism and the second book will be published soon. I have to say Weeks has done a masterful job with the plotting of The Black Prism. His writing seems to get better and better. I especially like how he plays with typical fantasy tropes (fat hero, good guy/bad guy dichotomy). The magic system is very unique too.

Purchase the book here.

Visit the author's site here.

Night Angle Trilogy
The Way of Shadows
Shadow's Edge
Beyond the Shadows

Lightbringer Series
The Black Prism

Assassin's Apprentice

Assassin’s Apprentice
by Robin Hobb

This is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy. The series follows the adventures of Fitz a royal bastard who’s father chose to abdicate his claim to the throne when knowledge of Fitz existence comes to light. Tales of royal bastards abound in fantasy from King Arthur himself to Jon Snow (eerie similarities between Fitz and Jon! Especially given that George R.R. Martin is a Robin Hobb fan). Unlike most fantasy though which tend to be skim the surface of real emotion, Hobb delves deeply into the psyche of her characters. Her writing is such that you really feel what’s going on with Fitz. So much so that at times I have found I had to set the books down and sort through my own complicated emotions with the books and characters.

The world of the Farseer Trilogy is in its infant stages throughout the beginning of this series but it really expands and comes into focus in the second book. With later series taking characters all around the continent. I have yet to real Hobb’s latest trilogy which is just finishing up, but it is on my list of books to get to.

Besides the wonderful characters within this first trilogy (and I can’t stress enough how wonderfully flawed they are) the magic systems are great and mysterious, as magic should be. The Wit and the Skill are two different and yet eerily similar forms of magic. The Wit is a beast magic (again strangely similar to Martin’s wargs) while the Skill is the hereditary magic of the Farseer’s. The line of kings and their progeny who rule the kingdom.

The best part about Hobb’s work’s are how prolific she is. If you like her books check out her other works under the pen-name Megan Lindholm.

Visit her site here!

Purchase the first book in the series here!

The Farseer Trilogy
Assassin’s Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin’s Quest


Review by Brendan