Flight of the Eisenstein (Horus Heresy Book 4) - James Swallow

So I am still on the 'Heresy Train' and show no signs of stopping at the moment. The fourth installment of the series was less traumatic emotionally, which was a relief, but no less exciting.

The first thing I want to mention about this book is how damned exciting the narrative is. I ended up reading this at a break neck speed; the pace was phenomenal. I found myself consuming the words as fast as I could because it was so exciting! 

Wanting to know what happened also managed to keep me up at night and that had not happened for a long time. It is a real credit to Swallow, how he is able to keep the pace going and the action exciting enough.

Although the pace is break neck, it does not skimp on the development of characters either. They are no replacement for those lost in the previous novel, I don't think anyone could replace them. Instead. Swallow builds upon those introduced and fleshes them out to create characters that are worth caring about. The dry wit of Garro lightens a lot of the darker scenes within the novel and helps lift the spirits in the most dire of circumstances. The supporting cast, some known, some new, are realistic and for good or ill, add another layer to the novel

The writing in the novel is a lot less clunky than in the previous installments. There are a lot less similes and the metaphors are a lot more subtle. It makes for a clearer read in my humble opinion and is less jolting from the action of the story itself.
 

Up Next: Fulgrim - Book 5 by Graham McNeill

Check out the other blog for more war-gaming stuff http://theblackhandschapter.blogspot.co.uk/

Galaxy in Flames (Horus Heresy Book 3) - Ben Counter

Writing this without spoilers is going to be difficult...

It might come as a bit of a surprise to some of you that I have rather enjoyed reading about Space Marines in The Horus Heresy. I have watched every single character grow and change throughout the three books. Some for the better, some for the (much) worse.

I knew this book was going to be tough to read from an emotional point of view, I just wasn't prepared for HOW tough. I spent the last two books getting to really like two of the core characters. Their companionship grew throughout the novels and added a much needed lighter approach through some of the darker aspects of the novel. The characters are so well written, that they soom so real. I don't want to write spoilers in this but just make sure you either steel yourself because believe me, you will not be prepared for the way this novel ends!

What I am now going to talk about is the irony that struck me involving the Great Crusade. Clearly, this novel upset me but I take comfort in the characters standing up for what they believed in. They believed that their side of the argument was right, that they were doing the right thing and standing by their Emperor. Who told them to go and spread his word and destroy anyone who disagreed with the secular way of man. If that is what it right then what does that tell you about the other side? If I have learned one thing about the Imperium of Mankind, is that it has one warped sense of humour (no pun intended).

Either way, I enjoyedthe read and I have not cried over a book since Oy died in The Dark Tower, it goes to show how well written the book is and I look forward to the next installment. I doubt I will be prepared for that either!

False Gods (Horus Heresy Book 2) - Graham McNeill

I was apprehensive. I will easily and readily admit that I adored the characters in Horus Rising by Dan Abnett and looked forward to reading about their trials in the next instalment of the story. That it was written by another person gave me pause. What if they were different? What if they were shown in a different manner and everything I liked about them was stripped away and they were left flat?

There was nothing to worry about, the characters were developed further from the point where Abnett left them and were still essentially themselves. In fact, it would be safe to say that I am even more emotionally invested in them now than before.

The book is so masterfully written and carefully thought out that there were times that I genuinely feared for some of them. It made picking up the book, and putting it down, incredibly difficult and I found I had to take a break now and then to prepare myself for the outcomes. My heart was genuinely thudding during some of the events of the story, while others made me want to scream, 'If you just listen to that guy....' I'll say no more because I want you to go and read these yourself.

McNeill is another master of the craft and I really don't have a bad word to say about the novel either. There is a balance of action, character and intrigue so as not to make it dull in any way and I was more than eager to read. The action scenes are incredibly well written and I was gripped, heart pounding and for want of a better phrase, on the edge of my seat, needing to know who lived and who died...

The third book is written by yet a different author but this change does not scare me half as much as it did the first time, I look forward to reading it, though am scared for the future of some of these warrior characters, and shall let you know my thoughts afterwards

Mistborn: The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson

My word! I managed to finish a book in the five minutes a day I now get to read. That's the five minutes between getting into bed and passing out exhausted every night. My training course is intense and is keeping my very busy. I'm loving what I do though so nothing to fear there. Onwards to Sanderson's novel then...

This is the first high fantasy book I have read in a long time. I read it as a paperback (not on kindle *shock*) and I must say, it was a blinder. The plot kept me guessing throughout and there are some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I was left guessing until the very end when the resolution happened and this left me a happy reader. I love to keep guessing, I detest obvious plot and this novel was far from that.

The world-building in the novel is right where it should be. I invested a lot of time reading the six hundred or so pagesof it and every one was worth it. The world was well thought out, highly developed and above all, believeable. The split between the nobility and peasent class, or Skaa, is well thought out and there is enough information to show the vastness of the world. The 'magic' system is like nothing I have ever read before, it was well balanced and had enough limitations to make it real. Top marks from me Sanderson, well done.

I shall also touch on character, which as you know, is a thing close to my heart. All the characters are believeavle, if not likeable (and most of them are). At first, one of the protagonists, Kelsier, appears to be a bit of a 'Mary Sue' type, like Kvothe in Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind but it soon becomes apparent that this is not the case, his flaws are just hidden to begin with. I do like a character with flaws, it makes them that much more real to me. The trials that he and his friends face are real and they each act according to their talents.

I'm going to leave it there for this novel, just leave with the final note of how much I liked it. It was a welcome change from some of the rubbish fantasy I have read. Go and read it, it is well worth the time investing in.

Follow the Stone (An Emmett Love Western) - John Locke

I have once again strayed into the realms of the Western for entertainment dear readers, this time from a recommendation by a friend who said this book was an easy read and even better, it was free. Free being the magical word in this time of austerity I decided to take her up on the offer and give it a go.

It wasn't a bad read either. I do enjoy a good Western and this novel isn't shy on that count. The details are all there and the characters all counted for - a cool gunslinger, a fiesty maiden and a bunch of whores, lets not forget the Indians and the cowboys either. Mix this up with an intricate setting and you've got yourself all you need for a Western novel. The characters are easily recognised and fairly simple too. There is no great need for understanding with this novel, the characters do what is expected of them and I feel this simplicity is part of the enjoyment I took. I knew I wasn't going to be reading a gret epic from the first page but this didn't put me off at all. I knew the hero was going to end up sleeping with at least one of the prostitutes during the journey and I knew there was going to be some form of change on his part too - that's what story is after all right?

The plot of the novel is somewhat predictable however and I found I could guess what was going to happen before the words appeared. Most of the time I would find this annoying however in this novel, because I knew what I was getting, I found it was a good thing. John Locke may be the first 'kindle millionnaire' but he hasn't written a great masterpiece nor shocked the world with beautifully crafted writting.

I liked this novel for all its simplicity and I didn't pay a penny for it which was nice - which is a good thing. If you want a simple easy throw-away read, this is the book for you. If you want some hardcore detailed writing with fast paced fights and gunslinging wizards, go and read The Dark Tower series... Until next time!!

Teacher Training, Time and Stephen King

I have been rather busy of late. I am into my third week of teacher training and I am enjoying every minute of it. Even the planning and the work I have to bring home. I love anticipating what the children are going to get from my lessons and what their reactions will be. Consequently, I have had far less time to read but don't get me wrong, I am still reading

I also have to confess I am re-reading some of The Dark Tower as I fell in love with it the first time and sometimes you just need something that you love. I have consummed The Drawing of the Three and have nearly finished The Wastelands. Here are my thoughts on the second reading:

I still love it. I have still ploughed through and read far too late into the night. The language is still fabulous and yet easy to read and the plot as gripping as it was the first time. This time however, I have the benefit of being able to read a bit slower as I know what is going to happen. I can savour the action scenes without reading at a break-neck pace to see who lives and who dies. My goodness they are wonderful! The metaphor and similies are enough to make the English fanatic in me die a bit (in happiness) and yet, it isn't overpowering or obnoxious.

I also noticed how creepy one of the characters in The Wastelands is the one pictured above. Blaine makes the above novel look more like a horror than a fantasy novel. The mental train verges onto the point of being terrifying and the warnings written by Jake at the start of the novel should be heeded. I won't say too much but I will lament my complete imeptitude at riddles. I'm just glad I wasn't on that mono!

That said, I should get back to these lesson plans, they won't complete themselves! I hope I can keep reading when I can.

The Last Arguement of Kings - Joe Abercrombie

So, I have finished the trilogy for the second time and I must say, I am as pleased with it this time as I was last time.





The final book is as good as the other two and although there has been some wide discussion about the ending of the novel, I found that I was still pleased with it. It is in keeping with the rest of the book and suits the themes that Abercrombie has chosen to work with. The ending may not seem fair to many readers however, I would point out that nothing in these books are fair. There is only one person who seems to come off better than they started (I'm not saying who) and when you really think about it, you're not really sure if that's the case. The ending is a good point for discussion and I look forward to discussing it at some lengths with the significant other when he gets round to reading it for himself.

Once more, the characters in the novel are fab and there is no telling who is going to be alive after the many many fights there are. It doesn't seem to matter how good, or bad, they are at fighting, luck plays a healthy part in the novel and it works well. I've not touched really on magic in the series yet as it appears to play a minor role for the most part. The magician character seems to start off nice but soon descends to the levels of the more base characters, especially with what you learn in the final part of the series. However, the magic system is well thought out and the details are woven into the story so when it comes to the forefront it appears to have been there all along.

The only thing that I found to be a bit of a drag in this final part of the trilogy was the many many many fight scenes. There are loads of them and after the fifth I found they were a bit wearisome to read. They are well written and also essential to the plot but I got tired of reading them. That said, it is not something that detracted from the overall enjoyability of the trilogy and I would suggest you go and read them, they are a delight.

Room 13 - Robert Swindells

This is the book I am looking at this half term with my guided reading group at school. I was given it to read over half term and I must say I enjoyed every word on the page. I tried to keep in mind that this is a story aimed at children while reading and found there was so much I discuss with my group.

The heroine of the book is a young girl named Fliss. She is about to embark on a school trip to Whitby for a 5 day stay. This is something I am doing during the summer term (albeit for a weekend rather than a week) so found it very easy to relate to. I understood her nerves about being away from home for the first time and will no doubt have to help several children cope with this too. She is the rough age of the group I work with and hope they will be able to identify with her too. Fliss is a balanced, well rounded character who's fears and hopes come through in an easy way. She has been expertly written and is supported by a group of characters who are as full as she is.

The plot itself is interesting and I found I wanted to know what happened next from the first page. It is a mild horror, which plays on popular superstitions about the number 13 and references the well known novel Dracula. Young boys in the story use Dracula to terrify the heroine and her friends in a comically typical boyish fashion. The pace of the plot is good and will be suitable for my group to follow without being too much. The plot is horror enough to keep the boys interested as well and anything that gets boys interested in reading is a winner in my book!

Swindell makes great use of language in the novel, it is easy to follow and yet will be enough of a challenge for my ten year olds. It will force them to look up words in a dictionary because I know they won't understand every word written. It's going to be a good book to work on and I am looking forward to seeing the children's reactions. 

Forever Neverland - Heather Killough-Walden

I was a bit apprehensive about this novel as I found the other book by Heather Killough-Walden a disappointment. It was one of my first reviews and it can be found here http://rushbysrantsandreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/avengers-angel-lost-angels-book-one.html
I slated it! I was unsure whether to bother with this read and I am so glad I did. I read it in a couple of days and couldn't put it down. I was back to reading in the staffroom and at every available point! Here's why.
I have a long standing obsession with pirates. I believe Captain Hook was one of my first fangirly infatuations at the tender age of... well, lets just say I was young OK! The story of Peter Pan is a complicated one I won't get into now and the idea of a sequel has always left me feeling uncertain. This one is a very different take on it, and it worked for me, we find Wendy Darling being bounced between therapists, John has grown into a disbelieving nerd and Michael a troubled child. Peter has become a nightmare of a teenager who has turned to motor cycles and drink, not a bad thing usually but in this case...

Killough-Walden does all the characters justice, keeping them in check with the originals and adding her own spin on it. The hate between Hook and Pan is explored in detail and the reader learns some abhorrent things about the young hero of Neverland. He comes across as a sulky obnoxious spoilt young man who hasn't learnt a thing since leaving Neverland. He has grown up a bit, in body, but certainly not in mind.

The language in the novel is half decent as well and the action scenes are so well written I could not stop reading, I ignored most things going on around me while I was churning through the pages. The only thing that bothered me was the repeated use of the phrase 'off of' (as in get off of my ship) I find this phrase awkward and it could easily be avoided with a bit of a re-write (Get your ass off my ship)

Apart from this, the novel was a splendid read. The romantic aspect of it was cute and the detail which she writes in is fab. If you're a fan of Peter Pan and fancy a bit of a guilty pleasure, this is the book for you!

Orphan (The Key to Magic) - H Jonas Rhynedahll

A brief return to books that I often find hit and miss: ones that Amazon recommend to me via email. I've had this one on my Kindle for a while and have been meaning to get round to it however the lure of The Hobbit was too much to resist. Still, here we are now with my thoughts on my latest read.

The book was a good read, the heroes of the book were instantly likeable and followed a decent journey through to the end. It wasn't all easy for them and there was a large amount of pain and suffering along the way. The main protagonist, Mar, is easy to relate to and a genuine care for what happens to him builds from the very start of the novel. The action begins right at the start of the novel and leaves the reader asking questions and wanting to know more about whats going on. The other 'hero' type character is introduced when he saves Mar from certain doom in the first chapter. Although not as likeable as the hero, he certainly has an air of mystery about him which keeps a reader interested and wanting to know more.

The world building in this novel is very good and a credit to the author, it seems complete and some of the desert setting made a nice change to read about. I certainly enjoy reading about different settings and the ruins in this novel made for a nice change. It had an Indiana Jones feel to it and was a pleasure to learn about. The general plot of the book was decent as well, interesting enough to keep me interested and yet different enough to have its own unique take on things.

However, this novel is far from perfect. Aside from a couple of spelling errors - which I am coming to accept as a fact of life with all novels - there are a few things that could have made this book a lot better. Overly complicated names began to be a bit of a bugbear with this novel. They seem other worldly and may add a fantasy feel to the book but they are also a pain to actually read. For example 'Ihthyrl Magics' would be much easier to read as Ethereal; names also get this sort of treatment, 'Rynthrahl, Freghth and Karhle' are all examples of those that would be better off simplified. Just makes it easier to read. The other aspect that made this book a bit difficult to follow in places was the narrative, towards the end, it jumps from side to side without much warning and at times it made it hard to understand which side was which. Again, something that could have been simplified to make it easier to read

My final point is on the magic of the world. How it works was explained as scientifically as such a thing could be and that worked well. What I found hard to believe that the street thief Mar could learn in half a day, by trial and error no less, what took magicians years to perfect. It was the only thing I found grating in the novel and although it is a central point to the plot, could have been altered to be more 'realistic'.

Other than these points, this is a very good novel and I shall be on the look out for the sequel in the near future.

The Hobbit - J R R Tolkien

Maybe I jumped on the band wagon a bit with this one but after seeing the film I felt a bit guilty about never reading the book. I have now remedied the situation and here's what I think.

The book was very easy to read, maybe because it is primarily published as a children's book. I was a bit apprehensive at first as it was written in 1937 and Tolkien also has a bit of a reputation of being wordy but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read without having to decipher any meanings or read between the lines. The reader is drawn into the world by the brilliant narrations of the author, not cajoled or bullied into believing that the world is reality, like some books I have read. The style is down to earth and friendly, however each character was his own voice which is distinct! Never at any time does Gandalf sound like Bilbo.

The songs in the novel add another element that is rarely found in other stories in this genre. They add a level of humour on some occasions, for example, when the dwarves are captured by the goblins and marched off to the under mountain they inhabit, they sing a song with onomatopoeic words. The scene would otherwise be full of threat. Some would think that this device detracts from the scene but I feel it adds to an otherwise dangerous scene. The song of the elves as the heroes approach Rivendell for the first time. It adds a sense of mischief and wonderment to what would be an otherwise bland scene.

The world that Tolkien writes in is perfect, there is no other word to describe it, just perfect. There is so much detail that the reader learns which makes the novel rich, however there is much that is not touched on and this is what makes the world complete. The added mystery of not knowing anything is far better than having every aspect explained. Gandalf's power is never explained, nor is where Beorn originates from and it is this that makes the world seem real.

There are many other brilliant points about this novel and I could go on and on about it however, it would be better if you went and found out for yourselves, go and read this book, its well worth it!

Death or Redemption - Gregory Stoakes

I write this review while swigging a lemsip and feeling a bit rubbish. The winter cold has caught up with me it seems. Still, no rest for the wicked, I shall to the best I can with this review before retiring to the comfort and warmth of my bed!

Stoakes has done a good job with this novel, you can tell it's a first attempt but I shall come to that shortly. If I say only one thing (and I won't) about the upsides of this novel it is this; Stoakes can write a fight. The fight scenes are some of the best ones I have read in a while. They pacing is perfect and as I couldn't read fast enough as swords clashed together. There was no shortage of gore and guts either, nor is Stoakes afraid to have his characters injured in a fight either - a good quality in an author!

The characters in this novel are very well thought out too. I love a decent character as regular readers will know and Stoakes doesn't let you down in this area. The hero, Ishbun, grows throughout the story and it is a pleasure to watch him learn from his mistakes. He isn't the only one who travels a physical and mental journey either, the support cast all go through a steep learning curve to get where they need to be and it is this that made the book a good read for me.

The world building in the novel has been well thought through, I enjoyed reading the journey from the desert to a more temperate climate. I loved how it was described and how the group dynamic changed once Ishbun, a native to the desert, arrived in the cooler zones of the north. It was well written!

This book is not perfect. The pacing of the book is a little off, at times it was a bit slow and I felt that some of the passages could have been omitted.Then there is the grammatical problems in the novel. This is a pet peeve of mine and I must say there are a few in this novel. How you can mistake foul and fowl I don't know. (this isn't the only word mis-use) It makes some of the passages difficult to read and really jolts you out of the world. There are also passages that don't make sense, for example, 'The blood pumped freely once more and Nemisa turn to stand and run.' These are simple mistakes that could be simply solved with either another round of editing or by having someone else go through the last draft.

The other bug-bear with the novel was the dialogue. People don't speak in formal English, we use clipped language and contractions, 'It is not' sounds wrong when written as speech, 'It isn't' sounds far better in my opinion and would make the novel easier to read.

All in all this was a decent read, despite the novel needing another round of editing, and I would recommend giving it a go.

Approaching the Dark Age; Orchestra - Matthew Chivers

I'm going to have a tough time doing this book justice as I'm reading it off the back of a series everyone in the world knows I love. Still, I will try to do my best at it.
 
Orchestra has both good and bad points like most books, I shall start with the good! The story is further developed through the novel and you get to see some genuine progress from the characters. They grow a lot more in this book than the last and I found myself interested in what happened to them. Maledream is no longer the spoilt rude brat he was at the beginning of Resonance and Angelite is a lot less irritating. Even the support characters have changed which is great. Not giving too much away, I think the one who grew the most was Crazy John due to some catastrophic events that happen. Keep an eye on him while your reading, he's worth watching!

The way the characters interact is good too, just like the last book. The squabbles and banter between Maledream and Neveah brings the characters to life. The teasing between them all shows how the relationships between the characters have changed. I hope this continues into the next book.

The world building is also very cleverly done. Chivers has put a lot of thought into this aspect of his writing and it clearly shows while your reading. I love how crystal energies are harnessed and found the 'learning' parts of the book fascinating. I keep wondering whether I should magpie it and do something similar for my own work but that would be cheating right?

OK, the not so good stuff: I know Chivers is dyslexic and for him to create a novel of this length is a true victory, however, saying that, there are more than a few words that are the incorrect one, example: pale and pail, weather and whether. I know its a small thing but it is distracting for a reader. It breaks immersion and lets be honest here, having someone else read through the work would solve this problem.

The next issue, and probably my biggest with the book was the use of other people's phrases. I spotted three in there and they bugged me. 'Make it so' belongs to Picard, 'I love it when a plan comes together' is from the A Team and 'At last we will have revenge' was uttered by Darth Maul. Rather famous lines said by big characters. Maybe it was a shot at intertextuality, I don't know, but I found it jarring.

The last thing I will mention that needs working on is dialogue. Some of it is OK, some of it really does need looking at. People just don't speak to each other that way. Some more clipped words and slang would be great. Although keeping the slang in speech is a must!

And that's your lot. I did enjoy this book despite the issues I found and I think Chivers works very hard to achieve this. It shows in his writing and long may he continue, it's a vast improvement on the first novel and it shows in the virtual pages! Keep it up!

Eye of the Wizard (Misfit Heroes, Book 1) - Daniel Arenson

This book was a blessing of a find. I wanted to read some fantasy, as I often do, but fancied something a bit different and this book offered me just that. It follows the story of five characters and how their apparent flaws get them exiled from their homes. They end up banding together and having to save the world from a skeletal warlock whose lust for revenge seems to dominate his entire being.

I admit to being a bit unsure during the first chapter or so as I didn't know quite how to take the novel. Once I realised it was a comedy and written to be so, I started enjoying it. I enjoyed it so much I managed to finish it in a matter of days! Although I wasn't quite laughing out loud, there were a few snickers along the way. Arenson writes in a few cliches through the novel which normally would be a massive ranting point - as I have done in the past - but he uses them to his advantage. He pokes fun at the accepted norms of fantasy and does so very well. The antagonist of the novel is a walking cliche but that's what he is meant to be and as a result, is all the more amusing.

The language was a delight to read, simple and to the point, there are no long winded descriptions in the novel, a lot of this is left to the reader - just how I like it, I think even the ten year old kids in my class at work would enjoy this novel, its so easy to read! Not too many adverbs and the right balance between action and chatter.

There are five protagonists in the book and each one has different flaws. These flaws do cause the characters no end of problems, especially the warlock who gains a temporary deformity every time he casts a spell, like rabbit ears or a giraffe neck, yet somehow they manage to overcome their difficulties and still achieve their goals. The characters seemed balanced and well formed to me, I cared about what happened to them and even the odd repetition of phrases didn't bother me.

I only have two niggly points to make about the novel; the chapters seemed episodic to me, like the novel was written as a bunch of short stories and then formed into a novel later, they are consistent but I like a bit of a cliff hanger at the end of a chapter, not for everything to be well rounded - maybe a personal preference and don't let it put you off reading. The other is an even more minor point, one of the characters makes a curse on the Queen of England. It bothered me because it's set in a fantasy world, which means England probably doesn't exist, let alone have a queen, it grated me a little but not enough to put me off the novel.

I have heard there is a sequel to the novel so will be off to give that a read in a little while, this book is well worth it, it will have you laughing on the inside, if not the out!

Daddys Little Girl - Julia Latchem-Smith

Now, this is completely different to what I 'normally' read. For a start it's not fiction. I'm not sure how to review a book like this as the themes have caused distress and I don't want to belittle the experiences of those involved.

I picked this book up while on holiday and read it in a few hours, the language was easy to follow and the narrative voice of the author suited the serious tale she had to tell. The story itself is interesting, she tells how she was sexually abused by her father - which is awful. It's a tough subject to broach but the author does it in such a way that is sensitive but not graphic. She also tells of her obsessive compulsive mother, who has a problem with cleanliness. I found this part of her story fascinating - how she'd leave her daughter in the car for two hours while she cleaned the weekly shop was such an alien thought to me I found it hard to grasp.

The story tells of the author's growth from an eight year old girl, who was abused for five years, through rebellious teenage years- including a teenage pregnancy, to her quest for justice. It's a painful journey and I don't want to think how much pain it must have taken to walk her path.

I'm always suspicious of people capitalising on abuse stories, there have been more than a few who have done so but this is not the case with this story. Latchem-Smith has published her story to help raise awareness for shunned cases of child abuse in the middle-classes, which is a worthy cause. The book is well worth reading, even if it's not your normal genre.