Koen Peters profile

I thought the plot was actually pretty good, with some nice twists along the way. In general I didn’t find the story all that impressive though, since there was no real drive to keep on reading which is definitely an important aspect of a novel. It’s only towards the end that the road gets rougher and the story gets interesting. Still waters make for smooth sailing but it’s only during the storm that true character is shown.

The story is overly aggressive, everyone resorts to violence very quickly and nobody really seems to care about some extra dead bodies. Slaughters are commonplace, yet the people are still naively trustful. The combat is also very unrealistic and full of impossible feats of strength, which is rather frustrating to read. I take no pleasure in writing negative reviews, but I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. I’m afraid that Rhett C. Bruno took his shot at too young an age, which clearly shows throughout the story.

The constant swearing and angry out-bursts are very similar to Karen Miller’s first series, yet it doesn’t feel old. The tensions are very realistic and the outlook throughout the book is very, very grim. Perseverance and determination are once again key points in her work, and the plot-twists are well-timed and surprising. The Prodigal Mage ends with a humongous cliff-hanger, so for your own good you should buy the next installment of the series too! This was truly a perfect sequel to the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series and I’m looking forward to finishing The Reluctant Mage. The bluntness of the characters and the pure emotions are just so incredibly refreshing!

Whether or not you’ve had the chance to read Sanderson’s original Mistborn trilogy, I think you should pick this up. You don’t need to have read the previous three books to understand this one, nor do you need to have read them to enjoy The Alloy of Law. This book stands on its own, and is a wonderful read that kept me reading well into the early hours of the morning. If you’ve read the series, then you’ll love this; if you haven’t, then I can almost guarantee you that you’ll want to after having read this.

When I started reading this book I was not expecting much, and I had a good laugh with the silliness of it all (I actually pictured the main character as King Julien from Madagascar after finding out he was a lemur). As the story progressed however, it really grew on me. As the generic threats actually became vicious and increasingly realistic my view swiftly changed. The huge sense of foreboding coupled with intense character-building and some light-hearted joviality made this a very interesting read!

One thing that hasn't waned is Goodkind's technical writing skills. His use of very short chapters were off putting at first, but looking back on it I think it was a very clever ploy as it kept me going "just one more chapter" every time I tried to put the book down. His pacing was consistent, his use of language was appropriate, the book was so easy to read that I had finished it before I even realised that I had so many issues with it.

Few could forget the mind-blowing last chapter of The Innocent Mage, which turned the whole world upside down. Immediately picking up the pace, the Awakened Mage continues directly after the dreadful accident. Grief-stricken, Gar and Asher try with all their might to keep everything together. The odds are not in their favour though, since they are still completely unaware of the actual threat; focused instead on preventing Conroyd from getting more influence. Everything goes downhill as Morg (successfully) continues to plot their demise and another strike of misfortune hits Gar. There's only one person standing in the way of total annihilation, our beloved yet overworked Asher...

Big Dragons Don’t Cry is a tale about a young kitten, Tara, who is conceived to become the Chosen, she who will start The Quest. No-one knows exactly what the Quest entails, but all cats are sure that it is of the upmost importance. The only thing that they know is that humanity has gone too far, and the only thing that can restore the world to balance is this Quest. Humanity has shed the bonds of the physical; they revere Mind and disdain anything emotional. Their purely reasoning minds are denied both love and hate. Because of their lack of compassion they have no qualms about destroying nature. While growing up, Tara is trained to become the Chosen. She’s told to trust her instincts and to remain open to the whispers of the Long-Whiskered One. Along her journey she will meet many species and learn many lessons. It’s now up to her to find a way to get through to the clouded minds of the humans...

These short stories vary widely, both in the way you experience the story and in topics. The writers even manage to create a new mood and way of writing for all their stories. Since these stories only span some tenfold of pages, they always have to keep in mind the balance between getting to know the character(s) and getting to experience the ‘mystery’. Therefore the characters and topics show a huge variety.

Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, a lesser god, and an immortal trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city. A world transformed by BioChromatic magic, a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous: breath can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people. But the rewards are great: by using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be performed. Brandon Sanderson proves again that he is a master of what Tolkien called 'secondary creation,' the invention of whole worlds, complete with magics and myths all their own.

"I've come to expect a lot from Brandon Sanderson after reading Elantris and the Mistborn Trilogy, yet he amazed me once again with Warbreaker. The colourful world full of intrigue and mystery made a big impression, as did the shocking plot twists. I dare not spoil the delights that are awaiting any who have yet to pick up this masterwork. On a side-note, the ending of this story is closed but in the epilogue he clearly implies that he could return to this world at a later point, for which I am very, very glad." Fantasy Book Review 

On the whole the story didn’t do much for me, sadly enough. The setting was interesting, but I didn’t really get to care about Nico. At times the events unfolded very quickly, which made for a lively pace with lots of interaction between the characters. The counter-part to that, the character-building, was lacking somewhat though. It’s a very decent debut, but not the mind-blowing kind that I crave.

People who are familiar with Trudi Canavan need not read further, because this novel will bring everything to the table that we know and love. It offers diverse and interesting characters, who you will come to know and love. Her writing style focuses on these select persons, their thoughts and doubts, their relations and expressions. Wasting no time on long descriptions, you’re immediately thrown in the story and world that you’re familiar with. Surely, as events unfold and the tension rises, pages will disappear in record time before your eyes!

Enter the universe of Malazan, where many a story unfolds and strife is easier to find than water in a well. After finishing their business elsewhere, the Malazan Empire finally focuses its eye on the Cult of the Lady, a fanatic religious cult that has spread among the lands of Korelri. Their numbers dwindling, the Stormguard keep up their valiant effort to keep Korelri safe from the abyssal Stormriders, as they have for hundreds of years. Yet while all their attention must remain on defending the Stormwall, Malazan forces are moving behind their back, plotting, conquering.

The style of the Rigante series need not be introduced again, since all books have the same kind of main character, who starts out as a hateful youth but grows significantly when he matures. The oppressed Rigante and the Varlish façade of justice make for a great setting, and I just can’t get it over my heart to spoil anything. Ravenheart truly is the best novel in the Rigante series, the conclusion one of the best and most touching I have ever read.

Midnight Falcon is a story of hatred and spite. But as Bane gets closer to his goal, his doubts slowly grow on him. Having experienced friendship along the way his hatred dampens and he starts to see the world in a different light, finally finding a little peace of mind. Sadly enough the Stone people are not in the mood for peace, they never were, and when his only friend asks for his help he has to face his old acquaintances again…

Sword in the Storm tells us about a young hero, Connavar of the Rigante. Burdened by the thought of his father being a coward, he’s eager to prove himself. His thoughts are often shadowed, but his heart beats true. The Seidh, malevolent forces of nature, sense his inner turmoil and decide to use him as a plaything, granting him one wish… When one day a bear attacks him and his friends, he refuses to give ground and attacks the animal, earning him mortal wounds and eternal glory. Against all odds he survives, and returns to his town a hero. This is only the beginning of his perilous journey… Will he be able to live up to his reputation and dreams, or will his inner demons consume him?

Scott Oden was clearly inspired by The Thousand And One Nights but luckily The Lion Of Cairo doesn’t take as long to read! The story is fast-paced and full of action, with never a dull moment. The vocabulary made it quite hard to read though, Scott Oden is obviously well-read on the topic but for someone who’s not it’s quite hard to keep track of all the Arabian terminology. With all the ibn’s and al-‘s it was harder to understand the names at first, so I had a quite a few “Wait a minute, wasn’t he the guy who…”-moments. However, the story is very strong, the characters really adapt and make new plans in a realistic way.

Sadly enough it’s not all gold that glitters. Besides a very interesting concept, the story offers very little depth. The book is solely action-oriented, and it’s the I’m-a-hero-so-I-succeed-at-everything kind of action. The unfolding of events is extremely unrealistic, and the only reason that Will Swyfte and his companions survive is due to unnatural luck and the utter lack of skill that every other human displays. Everything that happened just seemed way too coincidental. I can understand and respect that heroes are prone to luck, but this story went way too far with that.

The world and its inhabitants are realistic and well thought-out, and so is the Imaging-system. Art and perception are the major components of the story, while subtlety and secrecy gain in importance as it progresses. And of course, a tinge of love is never absent. It’s remarkable how a fast-paced story and brain teasers are combined.

The Drowning City is the first book in an upcoming trilogy, The Necromancer Chronicles. It tells of Issylt, a young necromancer and assassin sent to start a revolution. That immediately sets the stage for a dark world and that is what it sure proved to be!