I finally managed to get around to reading The Light of Burning Shadows by Chris Evans on the trip to Melbourne on Thursday. Yes, a book I ordered especially in from Amazon/America because I wasn’t sure if I could get it yet in Ballarat, which had been sitting on my bedside table for a couple of weeks as I kept finding myself otherwise occupied. Go figure. … Continue reading The Light of Burning Shadows – a review
“You don’t just put in a race of shapeshifters then ignore the tension of people wondering if someone they know has been replaced. That would just be irresponsible.” – Brandon Sanderson I’ve had a good time reading books recently. The big ones have been by Brandon Sanderson (designated heir of Robert Jordan): Elantris, and then the Mistborn trilogy. Elantris had something of a messy ending, … Continue reading A few thoughts on some fantasy books
Well, a couple of ebay purchases have come through, and I’m now the proud owner of T1-4, The Temple of Elemental Evil again. I’m extremely happy. (My first copy got left behind when I moved from Melbourne – I dare say one of my friends may own it now). I’m also now the owner of T1, The Village of Hommlet (Yes, I know its included … Continue reading D&D
It’s rare I pay a lot of money for books – perhaps I buy many books, but individually, I don’t pay that much for each one. I’ve just made an exception, for this collection of short stories by Roger Zelazny. After shipping, they’ll be close to aus$50 per book, but they’ll be worth it. I’ll have to wait for volumes 5 & 6 to come … Continue reading Roger Zelazny
Last week, I ordered a bunch of books from Amazon. (How many is a bunch? About 11 books, although two of the books are actually trilogies in one volume). All the books have been part of one order. They’ve shipped to me in four lots (over about 2-3 days). Interestingly, the first two shipments (a total of four books) were with the "expedited International Delivery" which I actually … Continue reading Amazon
I’m apparently really out of touch at the moment. David Eddings, the author of The Belgariad and The Elenium, died three weeks ago. I only learnt of it today. The Belgariad was the "big" fantasy series when I was still at school. (Along with the Riftwar saga, by Ray Feist). It took some time for me to actually get around to reading it, but it was so worth … Continue reading David Eddings
Well, after reading Queen of Shadows for the second time (and then The Invisible Ring yet another time), I’ve got to say that it is definitely Anne Bishop’s strongest book for a little while. It’s much, much better than The Invisible Ring, despite drawing on that book for some of its resonances. One of the truly exceptional things about Queen of Shadows is that in her Black Jewels trilogy, Anne Bishop told the … Continue reading Anne Bishop – Queen of Shadows
Wandering into a bookstore last night, I found that the latest Anne Bishop book had been released: The Shadow Queen. I bought it and, after getting home from playing wargames with Randy, I read it. It’s not that long a book, despite the 400+ pages (there’s a lot of white space). It was very enjoyable, though. It meant I finally got to sleep a way past midnight, but … Continue reading Books and games
Well, the announcement has been made: A Memory of Light, the final volume of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, will be published as three books. The first (The Gathering Storm) will come out in November this year. It’s hoped that the second and third parts will come out in 2010 and 2011, but nothing is set in stone yet. This makes me happy. I … Continue reading A Memory of Light, times three
Last evening, I bought Swallowing Darkness, the seventh book in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series. Three hours later, I’d finished reading it. Sure, it’s not the longest of books, but after I bought it I spent 30 minutes travelling home and also included a 15 minute nap. I read quickly when the book is good, and this one was excellent – just what I needed … Continue reading Books, books, books
