Book Review: The Fell Sword

The Fell Sword, by Miles Cameron, is the sequel to The Red Knight.

Miles Cameron is also the pseudonym of Christian Cameron, the prolific, and excellent, historical fiction author.

Characters: The Fell Sword has a very large cast of characters. First and foremost among them is the Red Knight himself. The mysterious Captain (he's simply called "Captain" by his soldiers) of a company of mercenaries, the Red Knight is both an accomplished magister (sorcerer) and a deadly knight. You spend a good bit of page time from the Red Knight's point of view, but The Fell Sword has a large cast and you do switch POV a lot. One interesting element of the novel is that the villains get their share of time as well, so the reader gets to see the plots and plans of both sides. To be honest, I did lose the thread of the story on some of the lesser characters. Personally, I found myself less interested in the Outwallers and the Jacks than in the story of the Albans and the Moreans. Despite the large cast, characters all have unique strengths and weaknesses and are distinct individuals.

World Building: The world building in The Red Knight and The Fell Sword is phenomenal. Imagine medieval Europe butted up against pre-colonial Canada. Alba, Galle, and Morea are reminiscent of England, France, and the Byzantine Empire. In "The Wild" we have Outwallers based on native North American civilizations. There are enough similarities with the historical locations that readers will be able to identify with cultural elements that lend a sense of familiarity to the reader. But the differences in history and characters (there are no actual historical personalities) give the world a unique feel. Cameron's magic system is also highly inventive, with magisters wielding power from within "memory palaces". Woe to anyone going into battle without their own magister. Magic in The Fell Knight is very powerful.

Writing/Mechanics: Cameron is an excellent writer. I've never read another fantasy (or historical fiction) author who can bring a world to life the way he can. Cameron does not shy from using historical terminology, or archaic language in his novels. But the way he does it is so seamless I am never caught out by it. Cameron is excellent at using context to bring out the meaning of obscure terms, and by using those terms, the world of the book is enriched.

Engagement/Willing suspension of disbelief: The Fell Knight is a long book, but it is engrossing. The multiple plots are intertwined in a way that lets the reader know that the series is building towards a titanic climax. No, you are not getting that climax in this book. There is more to come. But this book did have a satisfactory ended, that gave the novel a "complete" feel. While speaking of engagement, you will not find better medieval combat scenes (physical and magical) than in a Cameron novel.

Impact: An excellent novel. I read it every moment I could spare. I anxiously await the next book in the series. Luckily, Cameron is a prolific writer, and I won't have long to wait for the next Traitor Son novel.

Book Review: Leviathan Wakes

Excellent space opera sci-fi. Part space adventure, part horror, part crime noir, Leviathan Wakes provides an excellent cast of characters and an exciting story line. The setting is near-future and solar system based - no gallivanting across the universe faster than light. No artificial gravity on the ships, so G-forces play a big part on what ships and people are capable of doing.

It was an engrossing read. I couldn't put it down. I immediately picked up both sequels and loved them as well. 

The sequel to Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War is a mix of sci-fi, political thriller, and military adventure. We keep most of the cast and add a few new characters, including a UN politician and a Martian marine.

A very well written, seat-of-the-pants ride. An excellent follow-up to the first novel. 

An excellent conclusion to the Expanse series. I read all three books back to back and couldn't put them down.

Leviathan Wakes was sci-fi, horror, crime noir.

Caliban's War was sci-fi, political drama, military action.

Abaddon's Gate was sci-fi, exploration, action thriller.

If there were a few moments where I doubted character motivation for certain actions, these were far overshadowed by the excellent writing and action-packed plot. Each novel upped the stakes and Abaddon's Gate certainly didn't let off the gas. I highly recommend the series.

Book Review: The Name of the Wind

Book Review: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss

The riveting first-person narrative of a young man who grows to be the most notorious magician his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime- ridden city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard. It is a high-action novel written with a poet's hand, a powerful coming-of-age story of a magically gifted young man, told through his eyes: to read this book is to be the hero.

            -Amazon book description

Characters: Kvothe is our first person narrator (although in interludes the book moves to third person). He is a brilliant young man (child for much of the first third of the novel) who is trying to survive terrible circumstances. Despite his brilliance, his arrogance and youth often contrive to put him in peril. We know he survives; the story is in how he manages it. A wonderful cast of well-developed supporting characters surrounds him.

World building: A rich, well thought out world. It is a fantasy world, but you will not find hordes of goblins or tall, fair elves with bows. The world has a late Medieval/early Renaissance European feel to it. The otherworldly creatures that do exist do not steal the story, but do add flavor to it. The author has created a balanced system of magic with solid mechanics that do not feel overpowered.

Writing/Mechanics: Professional in every way. Beautifully written.

Engagement/Willing suspension of disbelief: Not once was I pulled out of the story with thoughts of “no way, that couldn’t happen”. Instead, I was pulled in and thoroughly engrossed the entire way through. I freely admit to moments where I laughed out loud and others where I teared up.

Impact: A wonderful fantasy novel. I immediately purchased The Wide Man's Fear, the second book in the series. I give The Name of the Wind my highest recommendation. 

Guest Review - The Lightning Thief

Today we have a guest review from my daughter, Amelia...

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My name is Amelia and I am nine years old. My favorite subjects are history and science. I also LOVE reading! Before this school year I never really read much at all. My classmate Robert said that he loved reading The Lightning Thief. It looked very interesting so I checked it out at my school library. Which brings me to this review…

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1:
The Lightning Thief

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

-From the back cover

Characters: Percy Jackson is a twelve year old who goes to a reform school. He has ADHD and dyslexia and always seemed to get in trouble. I loved the way he solved problems. He was very clever ands smart. Annabeth is Percy’s friend. Her mom is Athena (goddess of wisdom). Annabeth is very smart. Her weapon is a special knife that can kill monsters. Percy’s protector is a satyr (half man, half goat); satyrs help protect soon to be demigods from monsters.

Setting: I love the setting! It is mordern day New York City and it’s mixed with Ancient Greece. Some of the places are mordern day tourist attractions but they have a Greek secret hidden in them!

Genre: It is a mixture of fantsy and Greek mytholgy. It has lots of adventure and magic.

I would give this book 10/10 or 5 stars! It is a young adult novel, but I think anybody can enjoy it!

Review of The Red Knight

Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild.

Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder.

It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it.

The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery, it's just another job. The abby is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with.

Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war. . .

-from the book description

The Red Knight, by Miles Cameron

Characters: The Red Knight features a wide cast of characters, with each chapter giving us a different point of view. Our primary point of view is the Red Knight himself, a young mercenary commander. The Red Knight might be young, but he knows his business. I don’t put spoilers in my reviews, so I’ll just mention that there is more to the Red Knight than (of course) first meets the eye. Besides the Red Knight we have a rich cast of characters, including the novel’s primary antagonist. I enjoyed getting both the “good guy” AND “bad guy” point of views.

World building: This had to be one of my favorite elements of the novel. Cameron has taken Europe (circa 1450, I estimate) and tuned it to his own fantasy setting. You’ll recognize names and places from European history, some straight out of the history books, some given interesting twists. The book combines the author’s deep knowledge of history with a truly refreshing, well thought out overlay of magic and fantastic monsters (some you’ll recognize, some you won’t). It is a gritty, highly realistic setting.

Engagement/Willing suspension of disbelief: Cameron is a historian and a reenactor. Both come through in spades when it comes to engagement. Small details of everyday life create a rich, believable atmosphere. And Cameron certainly knows how to write a gripping combat scene. Knights in other fantasy novels wear the same armor, but in the Red Knight you really get to know what is means to be in a full suit of plate. It is obvious that the author has spent his fair share of time in full harness.

Writing/Mechanics: The Red Knight is a professionally written novel. Besides getting an exciting story, you are getting a well-written story. It is not all blood and guts, Cameron takes time to smell the roses. Love and hate, the nature of good and evil, the meaning of loyalty and friendship... Cameron writes them as well as he writes a deadly battle with a wyvern.

Impact: A terrific fantasy novel. It isn’t a YA fantasy, this is a tough, realistic telling of a bloody war in a  fantasy setting. It also isn’t a Dungeon’s and Dragons knock off - which is a great relief. It has the depth, complexity and realism of GRR Martin in a world where magic and monsters are more the norm. I can’t wait for more. 

Review of Tom Swan

Tom Swan and the Head of St. George

A serialized ebook novel by Christian Cameron

1450s France. A young Englishman, Tom Swan, is kneeling in the dirt, waiting to be killed by the French who've taken him captive.He's not a professional soldier. He's really a merchant and a scholar looking for remnants of Ancient Greece and Rome - temples, graves, pottery, fabulous animals, unicorn horns. But he also has a real talent for ending up in the midst of violence when he didn't mean to. Having used his wits to escape execution, he begins a series of adventures that take him to street duels in Italy, meetings with remarkable men - from Leonardo Da Vinci to Vlad Dracula - and from the intrigues of the War of the Roses to the fall of Constantinople.

-from the “back cover”.

Characters: As with all of Cameron’s novels, we get characters out of history, not modern people in costume thrust into a different age. The characters’ behaviors and actions are true to the time period and this has the effect of making the book seem more real. The book opens with Tom Swan as a helpless captive, and given his desperate situation, he immediately gains the reader’s sympathy. He is a likeable, resourceful protagonist surrounded by an interesting cast of supporting characters.

World building: Cameron is unmatched when it comes to world building. He is both a historian and a reenactor and it comes out beautifully in his novels. Cameron has a wonderful way of adding rich details to his historical fiction, without sounding like a professor giving a college lecture. Tom Swan immerses the character in the world of late medieval France.

Engagement/Willing suspension of disbelief: This is not a fantasy novel, it is historical fiction. Given this, I expect realistic depictions of events while at the same time a story filled with enough action to keep me engaged. Again, Cameron does not fail. The fights are brutal and realistic, with genuine danger for our protagonist. Tom Swan is no Conan, able to charge into a horde of enemies. In fact, he reacts to surviving combat in a very human, realistic manner. At no point did I want to pull back in disbelief. Cameron kept me fully engaged in the story.

Writing/Mechanics: Tom Swan is a professionally written novel. Cameron writes excellent prose, but I’ll warn you that he doesn’t shy from historic terms for clothing and equipment, and you’ll occasionally run into non-English words or phrases. But for me, this just adds to the richness of the experience. The context of the story tells us what the items are and what the words mean.

Impact: I read the novella in one sitting and loved it. Actually, it is not a novella, but one part of a serialized novel. And this is my one disappointment. Now I have to wait a month to be a part of Tom Swan’s next adventure.

Book Review: Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix

Silver Phoenix is the story of Ai Ling, a strong, independent young woman who leaves her home to both escape an unwanted marriage and to find her missing father. A fantasy in a world based on ancient China, Silver Phoenix is filled with adventure, strange creatures, and great characters. Ai Ling is joined on her adventure by a pair of brothers, the strong, serious Chen Yong and his love-crazed younger brother, Li Rong. I found the three characters to be well-written and distinct individuals.

World building: Unlike most of the fantasy novels I’ve read, Silver Phoenix has an Asian setting. It was a refreshing change from your typical pseudo-European world. It was a great to see characters confronted by new and unique gods, demons, and monsters instead of the standard orcs, elves, and ogres (or variants thereof). I loved the author’s world-building efforts; her descriptions of architecture, food, clothing, and the environment made the world come alive.

Engagement: A very engaging novel, Silver Phoenix definitely keeps the action rolling. It is fast-paced and tightly written. My only serious complaints would be with the rapidity with which Ai Ling’s powers developed and the presence of an overly helpful magic item. Other than that, I found myself engrossed in both the story and the world the author created.

Writing: The author writes very clear, straightforward prose. I enjoyed her style. Silver Phoenix reads like a blend of historical fiction, fairy tale, and fantasy. Having said that, my knowledge of ancient Chinese history is pretty sketchy and the author has clearly stated that Xia is only based on Chinese culture and folklore - it is not supposed to strictly represent China at any particular time period. The novel was, in every way, professionally written.

Impact: Although classified as a young adult novel, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel from an adult perspective. While aimed at a YA audience, some scenes felt very grown up. A few times I felt myself wondering if it was a serious fantasy or a lighter fairy tale. However, these were minor distractions. I loved the characters, there was a lot of action, tension was high throughout, and the world building was outstanding. As soon as I finished Silver Phoenix I immediately downloaded Fury of the Phoenix.

Fury of the Phoenix is the sequel to Silver Phoenix and follows Ai Ling and Chen Yong as they travel to Jiang Dao (Chen Yong’s birth father’s homeland). The novel is split between Ai Ling’s and,unexpectedly, Zong Ye’s perspectives. Zong Ye (the villain of Silver Phoenix) returns in spirit form to haunt Ai Ling. The great thing about the Zong Ye character is that we learn of his origins and he becomes a complete character. In Silver Phoenix he was just “The Bad Guy” and we didn’t know much about him. In Fury of the Phoenix he becomes a real person. Ultimately not a nice one, but a real one. He’s a great character.

Ai Ling spends much of her part of the novel either on board the ship taking her and Chen Yong to Jiang Dao or in in Jiang Dao itself. I have only two minor complaints with the novel and both have to do with setting. The opening scene of the novel has Ai Ling very improbably boarding and stowing away on a sailing vessel (at sea). It is impossible for me to imagine it happening as described and put me off in the first chapter. The second complaint has to do with the country of Jiang Dao. The author states in the afterword that Jiang Dao is not supposed to be Europe. Unfortunately, Xia is so clearly inspired by ancient China that I was constantly attempting to figure out which European country was supposed to be Jiang Dao. Don’t do this. Jiang Dao is a completely fabricated country containing an assortment of elements of European culture.

Here’s the good news: Fury of the Phoenix is excellent! It reads as a straight-up, grown-up fantasy novel and I was completely engaged throughout. The story of Ai Ling and Chen Yong’s journey and relationship was well-written and perfectly paced. Having said that, I was even more engrossed by Zong Ye’s story of his descent into evil. If a major draw of Silver Phoenix was setting and action, the big draw of Fury of the Phoenix is character and discovery (and a great lead-up to a thrilling climax). I highly recommend both books and look forward to the author’s next work.