Fantasy Book Review
FantasyBookReview.co.uk is attempting to find the best 100 fantasy books of all time. After the fantasy books are read, they are reviewed and rated and then proudly take their place amongst the top 100 fantasy books of all time. The books below are the latest to be reviewed, you can read the review or click on the Top 100 Fantasy Books links at the top of this page to see where they have been placed. The books reviewed fall into five separate sub-genres - High fantasy / Epic fantasy - Contemporary fantasy / Urban fantasy - Comic fantasy - Historical fantasy - Heroic fantasy / Sword & Sorcery
Featured Book Review: Tales From Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
This book of short tales shows how an author can return to a successful series and improve upon it. All the magic of Earthsea is still there and the new tales, like the old tales, are a source of joy. Ursula Le Guin never takes the easy route in her fantasy; strong females and a mostly black cast of characters are two elements that you would least expect to find in a fantasy novel. The fantasy genre needed somebody like Le Guin to clear it of its stereotypes and secondary importance females and this she does with wisdom and passion.
Duncton Quest by William Horwood
Duncton Wood was a wonderful book and so is its sequel. William Horwood does not take the easy path in keeping with the characters that readers would know and love from the first book but presents a whole new cast charged with enthralling the characters as their predecessors did. The animal kingdom is savage and brutal and this is forever the case in Duncton Quest, a far darker and brooding book than the far from light-hearted prequel. Death, disease and the loss of hope and faith are the themes that stand out, any small success or happiness comes at a cost. In Tryfan and Spindle we are given lead characters that are as memorable as Bracken and Boswell, Henbane every bit as menacing as the evil Mandrake.
Last Argument Of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
In this much anticipated and last instalment of the First Law trilogy from Joe Abercrombie we find the answers to all our questions and some we didn’t even realise existed!
Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell
Gemmell incorporates epic and historical fantasy into a set of novels set in the era of the Trojan Wars. Drawing upon Greek mythology and using his own inimitable style Gemmell draws us into the fables of Agamemnon, Aeneas (Helikaon), Andromache and Hector. This refreshing re-telling of the Greek epic follows the battle between Troy and Mycanae.
Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver
Torak still misses Wolf. He is now part of the Raven Clan and when disease hits forest clans he sets out to find the Seal Clan and a cure. Torak must learn to spirit walk and become another creature to discover the truth behind the Soul-Eater.
Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb is rightly classed as one of the finest authors the genre has ever been fortunate enough to have. The Farseer Trilogy established this status – does the Liveship Traders keep the high standard? The answer is yes, the quality of the writing is once again excellent and the characters are full and lifelike. I did enjoy the trilogy but not to the same degree as The Farseer Trilogy. There is something about the characters that stopped me from getting completely behind them. They are undoubtedly well written but also often highly annoying (this may be intended, if it was, then it was done superbly well.)
Featured Author: David Gemmell
David Gemmell was born in 1948 in West London, England. His school life ended at the age of sixteen when he was expelled for his part in an organized gambling syndicate. After leaving school Gemmell became a labourer in the daytime and a bouncer at night in the pubs and clubs of London.
