Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars.
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen (Book 8 of 10)
Genre: Epic fantasy, grimdark fantasy
First published: 2008 by Bantam (UK) and Tor (US)
In a series replete with epic endings, Toll the Hounds offered, to date, the most epic one of all. It is with much joy that upon rereading I could upgrade this book as one of my favourites.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Lord of the Rings (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Classic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Published: 29th July 1954 by George Allen and Unwin
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
Ascendant’s Rite by David Hair
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Moontide Quartet (Book #4 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 848 pages (UK paperback edition)
Published: 5th November 2015 by Jo Fletcher
Against all odds, Ascendant’s Rite was a tension-fused and satisfying conclusion for The Moontide Quartet.
“Life is a series of transactions. We all give to receive.”
Reaper’s Gale by Steven Erikson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen (Book 7 of 10)
Genre: Epic fantasy, grimdark fantasy
First published: 2007 by Bantam (UK) and 2008 by Tor (US)
I will not be the first to extoll the astounding breadth and depth of the Malazan world with its extensive history, a multitude of races, richly diverse cultures and a huge cast of characters. I may also not be the first to admit how lost I sometimes feel, wandering through this labyrinth of intricate worldbuilding.
Reaper’s Gale was the first volume in the Malazan Book of the Fallen which, to my delight, continued directly from the previous book. There was no whiplash from the sudden change in plot lines from one book to the other in the past six books. Almost all the subplots from the previous novels led into this one with a lot of known main characters showing up one way or another, all of which descended upon the Letherii Empire.
…
Unholy War by David Hair
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Series: The Moontide Quartet (Book #3 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Erotica
Pages: 800 pages (UK paperback edition)
Published: 30th October 2014 by Jo Fletcher
Unholy War should’ve been titled I’mhorny War. By far, the most pointlessly lusty fantasy book I’ve ever read, and no, not in a good way. …
The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars.
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen (Book 6 of 10)
Genre: Epic fantasy, grimdark fantasy
First published: 2006 by Bantam (UK) and 2007 by Tor (US)
Malazan Book of the Fallen really hit its stride coming into its sixth chapter of this massive tale. However, now that we have moved past the midway point of the series, it will get more and more difficult to compose a review without giving away too much. As such, you may see the length of these reviews getting shorter as I progress towards the finale.
Firstly, I have to say that in The Bonehunters, Erikson started to reveal a larger picture of the intricate tapestry that he has so masterfully woven. Almost every character that we have met from the beginning and their respective arcs or subplots were coming together to form a more cohesive narrative across all the volumes of the series so far. While the prose maintained its dense philosophical slant, the books were progressively getting easier to read. Easier being solely relative to its predecessors. …
Scarlet Tides by David Hair
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Moontide Quartet (Book #2 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 688 pages (UK paperback edition)
Published: 24th October 2013 by Jo Fletcher
Wow. Scarlet Tides is an awesome sequel. My gratitude goes to Kitty G for recommending this super underrated series. …
Mage’s Blood by David Hair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Moontide Quartet (Book #1 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 704 pages (UK paperback edition)
Published: 27th September 2012 by Jo Fletcher
The first half of Mage’s Blood challenged my patience, but the pay-off—and hopefully the rest of the series—in the second half was bloody rewarding. …
ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan—in exchange for an honest review.
A Time of Courage by John Gwynne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Of Blood and Bone (Book #3 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Published: 2nd April 2020 by Pan Macmillan (UK) & 7th April 2020 by Orbit (US)
A Time of Courage is a stunning masterpiece that proved yet again that John Gwynne is a force to be reckoned with; primed and poised to joined the ranks of the greatest fantasy authors.
…
ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Brightest Shadow by Sarah Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Brightest Shadow (Book 1)
Genre: Fantasy, Progression fantasy, Wuxia
Published: 6th March 2020 (self-published)
Eastern-inspired with great classic wuxia elements, The Brightest Shadow is a commendable fantasy entry with impressively thoughtful worldbuilding, and an interesting diverse cast of characters.
I grew up watching a lot of wuxia classics, the most famous being The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Sarah Lin paid homage to these great classics by incorporating cultural and martial arts elements which would feel very familiar to wuxia fans into her new fantasy series, The Brightest Shadow. The worldbuilding in this novel is really impressive and well thought out with multicultural people that although share some common traits are quite distinct from one another. Aside from physical looks, the differences could be demonstrated from the food they eat to the way martial arts are practised. Even the concept of sien (somewhat akin to qi in our world sense) differ from one people to another.
“A person who wants for nothing, who is at peace with themselves, cannot be seduced by simple stories.”