“The Symphony of Ages” by Elizabeth Haydon

"The Symphony of Ages" is a long cycle, and so far, I've read the first four novels and the last one. I know how it began, and I know how it ended. And, despite its drawbacks, I consider this series one of my favourite fantasy sagas. Why? Because nowadays, you don't have so many readable … Continue reading “The Symphony of Ages” by Elizabeth Haydon →

Earthsea Revisited: How I Learned to Appreciate This Series Again

The first time I read the Earthsea books, I was thirteen, and I was a teenager who wanted to appease her conservative family. I was quite silly, too. I didn't 'mind' that most Earthsea people were red-brown, but I thought that Vetch's blackness was 'political correctness'. I didn't 'mind' that LeGuin wrote about customs and … Continue reading Earthsea Revisited: How I Learned to Appreciate This Series Again →

The Daughter of the Lioness Duology by Tamora Pierce

"Trickster's Gambit" and "Trickster's Queen" form the aforementioned duology set in the most famous world of the author. Aly, daughter of the famous knight Alanna and spymaster George, is kidnapped and sold as a slave to the Copper Isles, ruled by the white-skinned luarin caste, though their native people, the raka, are brown. At first, … Continue reading The Daughter of the Lioness Duology by Tamora Pierce →

“All the Seas of the World”

I'd say that "All the Seas of the World", the newest novel by Guy Gavriel Kay, is a good starting point for those who'd like to get a taste of what his writing is like. It doesn't mean that I think it's an exquisite, unusual novel. An entry point to someone's work doesn't have to … Continue reading “All the Seas of the World” →

Why “Prince of Thorns” Sucks

Do you know the talking point they wouldn't write a novel like that these days? Well, I am glad that certain novels wouldn't look as they do if they were published today. If there is a naive fantasy novel about a cheeky princess and a novel about a prince turned murderer and rapist, I choose … Continue reading Why “Prince of Thorns” Sucks →

How to Make Your Setting Captivating: “The Lies of Locke Lamora”

I think that everyone has their own definition of a 'working' eclectic setting in the fantasy genre. For someone, very vague inspirations may work. Someone may not need names and landscapes that are based on a given place or culture from our world. It works brilliantly in such classics as LeGuin's 'Earthsea', and it works … Continue reading How to Make Your Setting Captivating: “The Lies of Locke Lamora” →

‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern

I really liked 'The Starless Sea' by this author. Maybe the pacing and the execution weren't perfect, but many elements there drew me in. But once I've read 'The Night Circus', the first book by Morgenstern, I think that it's a proof of certain thing. She's become a better writer, why not. However, it's hard … Continue reading ‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern →

‘The Goblin Emperor’ Isn’t only About Fantasy Stuff

I don't mean that most fantasy books are shallow except for the Few Chosen (though I've been quite disappointed with the YA strain of the genre for a time). But if someone thinks that fantasy is only about adventures and fight, then they should read more books like 'The Goblin Emperor' by Katherine Addison. I … Continue reading ‘The Goblin Emperor’ Isn’t only About Fantasy Stuff →

‘The Book of the New Sun’: Last Two Novels

In my review of the first two books in the 'Book of the New Sun' tetralogy by Gene Wolfe I wrote that they were books written beautifully but without much substance. Overall, I can tell the same about, like, three-fourth of the cycle? Because in the third book, almost nothing happens, except that Severian, our … Continue reading ‘The Book of the New Sun’: Last Two Novels →

‘Fairy Tale’ by Stephen King

A fairy-tale which wasn't so fairy, and if it wasn't, the dark retelling trope wasn't the reason for that, sadly. There is something missing in this newest book by King in comparison with his old novels. And there is something missing in comparison with other contemporary fantasy books, overall. Because there are authors who may … Continue reading ‘Fairy Tale’ by Stephen King →