Contact details for Fantasy Book Review

Tavake

I’ve been looking for this character of a book I read in the late 80′s early 90′s. He was sort of like a Shamen/magic user warrior that one of his arms was changed into a reptilian arm. I thought his name of something like Micah Oba or something like that. I’ve been looking for this book for a long time. If you can help me with this book would be great. Thanks again for your time.

Tavake

Lee

Hi Tavake, I’ve tried to unearth some information on this book but had no luck so far, I will continue digging…

Best wishes,
Lee

Tracey Summers

Hi I’ve just read the Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggon and loved them, could anyone suggest another good book on the same lines as those with a great love story to it. I really need a book to read. Thanks.

Lee

Hi Tracey,

Ladyhawke by Joan D. Vinge is my favourite fantasy story that contains a magical love story – it is quite brilliant. The book was made into a film in 1985 and they did an OK job but the book (as is always the case) is far better. It is available only second hand nowadays – 1p from Amazon plus post and packing. If you like I could buy the book and send it down to you in return for a book review to go on the site? Let me know what you think (use contact@fantasybookreview.co.uk).

Best wishes,
Lee

Lindsay

Do you know the name of the author of ‘Pork’? What a great book!

Lee

Hi Lindsay, thank you for your most interesting question. Pork was a book of short stories by an author called Cris Freddi – his website is http://www.crisfreddi.org/.

Pork is available used from Amazon.co.uk for as little as 1p – http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=pork&x=0&y=0

I think it is definitely worth every penny.

Ian M. Beymer

I just wanted to point out that I reviewed your top 100 fantasy books. I have not read all of those of course, but surely “The Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan has got to be in there somewhere. Why is it not? And why is there so many ridiculous Harry Potter books in there?

Ian

Ian M. Beymer

If you have read my post before, then you know what I speak of when I detail on adult, sophisticated type, very detailed fantasy read. I am not interested in lame stories where everything conveniently happens at the perfect time. Ala “Dragons of the Autumn Twilight”. I realize that the series was written in the 80s’ now so it is forgiven. Please… any serious fantasy fanatic like me out there…. tell me.. do you not appreciate the detail, the realism even in a fantasy setting? The realistic pace and setting for each chapter and each character. Detail so deep that one could talk about the structure of a leaf for a whole chapter. The only series that even comes close to what I speak of is “The Wheel of Time”. I have tried other series and read other books and none has sparked this within me. This is the main reason why I question the judgment of Robert Jordan’s series not being in the top 100. There has got to be other adult readers out there like me who would agree. A party of eight cannot disappear through the forest so easily when surrounded by winged creatures posing as clerics looking for the exact staff that the party just so happen to possess. Does any serious fantasy fan out there not see where I am coming from? This is the main reason why I am spending a few years just creating my world. Then the writing begins. Details and believability is so important in a good read. Robert Jordan is the only real story teller that I know of, may he rest in peace. Sanderson…. you ass in on the line buddy.

Mahalo,
Ian

Lee

Hi Ian,

You are absolutely right, the Robert Jordan books should be in there. Luckily, Josh Hill has read the entire series and is in the process of writing up the reviews.

Expect to see Mr Jordan’s books on the site very soon!

Best wishes,
Lee

Dan-I

Just to say that I have started to read the WheelOT series and am also looking forward to your reviews!!
This site rocks!! xx

Makeda

I agree with Ian!

Zephfire

Hi all,
Just wanted to pass along our thanks at the Flamel Forum and that of Michael Scott for the news article about the Irish Book Awards nomination, and the great review of the Alchemyst that we saw on here too! We hope that you’ll enjoy book #2 The Magician when you get a chance to read it! Book #3 in this series, The Sorceress, will be released on May 26th 2009 in the USA and about a month later in the UK.
Keep up the great work on this site guys!
You’re most welcome on our forum, make sure to say hi to me if you join!
Best wishes
Z.

Xenia

Hello!
I came upon this website because a friend’s books are listed here, but I was devastated when I couldn’t find some of my favorite authors anywhere in your database. I understand that you can’t read everything all at once, so I suppose I’ll have to prioritize… The biggest gap, I’d say, is not including Anne McCafferey, creator of Pern and many other worlds. Her contributions to fantasy and science fiction are tremendous – please check her out and include her on your site!
Thanks,
-X

Lee

Hi Xenia,

She certainly is an author that does not feature on the site much at the moment but that will rectified in the not too distant future… We have the third book of The Twins of Petaybee (Deluge) to be reviewed and then hopefully we can get onto the rest of her work.

Best wishes,
Lee

Ammar

Hi I’m looking for two sets of books I read at primary school in the eighties.

one was the ‘Bucaneer’ series and the other I can’t remember the series title but was a magical fantasy with the main characters being Toby, Tobias (the black cat), and Arun

sorry for lack of detail but google isn’t throwing up anything and I’m hoping someone here will remember.
I would love to see if they’ve stood the test of time.
regards,
Ammar.

jemma jeffries

hi peter i have read your book Dawn Demons and now every night before i go to sleep i check under my bed!
when are you next coming back to our school called high greave junior school i hope you are coming back to our school

ellie wootton

Hi pete we have been reading your mokee joe book in our school called highgreavejuniorschool and when are you comeing back to see you and the praesants that you are giving to us.I have read you great book bonebreaker I think it is really scaery and I am trying not to have night mears I like your books I have got two of your books bonebraker and moonwhailer.xxxfrom ellie wootton

Ellie Wootton

Hi Pete, your book Bonebreaker is so fantastic and I like it very much, we are reading it at High Greave Junior School. Bye!

Jason

I’ve considered reading ‘Lord of the Isles’ by David Drake, but can’t find it on the site. Is the book bad, or has it just been overlooked?

Jörgen

Hello, I am looking for a book or a series of books based on Chinese mythology with or without fantasy or something set in ancient china. Can you recommend anything like this Thank you.

Lee

Hi Jörgen, there are three books that I would highly recommend. Firstly, Guy Gavriel Kay’s wonderful Under Heaven – http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Guy-Gavriel-Kay/Under-Heaven.html – is inspired by the Tang Dynasty of Ancient China and as beautiful and enriching a novel as you could possibly wish for. Secondly, there is Alison Goodman’s The Two Pearls of Wisdom – http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Alison-Goodman/The-Two-Pearls-of-Wisdom.html – which is a spellbinding tale full to the brim with martial arts, political intrigue, ancient myth and mysticism. Lastly, there is Peter Ward’s Dragon Horse – http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Peter-Ward/Dragon-Horse.html – which is educational, entertaining and leaves the reader wanting to know more about ancient China and the wonder that was The Silk Road.

I hope these recommendations help, I have read them all and found them to be excellent,
Lee
Fantasy Book Review

Lance

The Death Gate cycle should be somewhere in the top 100 IMHO.

Anonymous

Hi,

I thoroughly enjoyed The Wheel of Time, all of the Robin Hobb books (especially the Farseer trilogy), The Dark Tower, Name of the Wind and A song of Fire and Ice. These are all my favourites but I am now really struggling to find a book series that I would enjoy as much as these. I’m worried I’ve read all the best and nothing else will satisfy. A friend suggested The Sword of Truth series but after about a third of the way into the book I just gave up because the writing skill seemed so much worse in comparison to the books I named above. I was wondering if anyone had a few High Fantasy recommendations, going on the books I’ve enjoyed so far?

The Collector

Hi Anonymous,

Have you had a look at The Collector of Tales? Its a different kind of fantasy. There are three problems though. a) It is only the first in what I know to be a series (the second is almost complete). b) The first book is a bit rooted in a real world (I do not say THE real world). c) You may not like it but if you don’t have a look you won’t find out. Have a look at the website www [dot] collector.dcpltd [dot] uk [dot] com for some extracts of the current book and the work in progress.

Matt Davis

Hi there. I came upon this site looking for insight into The Black Company books. It is a fantastic read, I have to say but that is not the main reason I send this post. I am on the verge of completing my first fantasy novel. I have been writing it for going on 8 years. Let me tell you, it has been one long merciless journey. Though it will not be a instant classic I know that it can appeal to all who just give it a chance. It has yet to be published because, well I’m afraid of what anyone will say. “This has no style,” “Same book different title”, or the ever dreaded “This story sucks!” Hell, all I want is for just a few people to read it and say that it was a good read. Not that it was the greatest thing I’ve ever read (although that would be cool, even orgasmic) but at least appreciative of a story with potential. So I guess what I would like to know is if there is anyone interested in reading it?

Torak

I have read the Innocent Mage series (amazing books!!!!) but I can’t find anything as good as them. Everything I read at the moment is missing something that was there when I read those books. I really enjoy any story with a completely different culture and with less development technologically. I also loved Wolf Brother and the Lord of the Rings (well doesn’t everyone?) but other than those I need new books. Any ideas??? By the way, I am not that old… well quite young really, so nothing too grown up!

Asher

The Kingmaker Kingbreaker series!!! Read it if you like people.

Ben

I really dig this site, and I don’t know why it hadn’t hit me before, but my god, why have I failed to suggest that the new collection of Jorge Luis Borges’ “Collected Fictions” that Penguin released be considered for review here??? If any of you are familiar with this author, he is THE GURU of the fantastical! A godfather of it, in fact. Should anyone get the chance, do indeed check out the stories in this collection. They’re mind-blowing to say the least. He is often credited with being the forerunner of flash fiction, too, because he often write very short stories – but note: his mastery of economy and the maze-like turns of his thought created works so powerful and pithy some of them are on par with whole volumes of other authors’ works. One of the few authors to make THIS aspiring author stop and feel just a little like reaching Borges’ level of mastery would be next to impossible, like some of the bassists when they first heard Jaco Pastorius or saxophonists upon hearing Bird or Trane!

Lee

Thanks Ben, we will look at adding Jorge Luis Borges as soon as we possibly can!