FANTASY REWIND 3: The Sword of Truth Series, Terry Goodkind

Let's be honest, Terry Goodkind is brilliant. Needless to say that his books are brilliant too. Goodkind is a master storyteller, sculpting a sophisticated world entwined in intrigue, love, loss and above all else, magic. Oh yeah, and I shouldn't forget to mention prophecy either.


The Sword of Truth series follows the adventures of a lowly woodland guide named Richard. His days are spent exploring the forest and in his spare time, crafting items out of wood (I should mention that before becoming an author, Goodkind was a wood sculpture ((oh, and he is also dyslexic))). After Richard pricks his hand on a mysterious vine, the world around him changes and he becomes caught up in the politics of an ancient war. The first book, Wizard's First Rule is long and satisfying story. Read the blurb for yourself:  




Richard Cypher's decision to help a woman in the Upper Ven near the Boundary between the Midlands and Westland creates more trouble than first appears. The woman, Kahlan Amnell, seeks the help of a wizard in the Westland, and she brings with her dark news from the other side of the Boundary: Darken Rahl, Ruler of D'Hara, has brought down the Boundary between D'Hara and the Midlands. This menacing ruler continues his dead father's quest for control by pressing war on the now vulnerable Midlands. Kahlan is attempting to find the great wizard who had left the Midlands for the Magic free Westlands due to the corruption of the government in his eyes, so as to have him Name a Seeker of Truth. The great wizard turns out to be Zeddicus Zu'l Zorrander, Richard's longtime friend, who then proceeds to name Richard the Seeker.


Wizard's First Rule is the very first adult fantasy novel I ever read. I was thirteen years old and though I didn't understand every second word in the story - vocabulary is a killer - I managed to read the book cover to cover. Goodkind was still publishing a book every couple of years, so I grew up reading and constantly waiting for the next instalment. As I matured, so did my vocabulary and reading skills. I can attribute a lot of my love for fantasy because of Goodkind. He really did change my world. 


But now more about the story:


The characters are brilliant and unforgettable. I loved picking up a new novel and embarking on a new journey with Richard and Kahlan. In my own opinion, each novel was a good as the last - at least until the final 'wrap-up' trilogy. The world is as equally unforgettable, unique in its design and mind-blowing in its complexity. Goodkind's world is a believable place where I felt must exist somewhere... somehow.


Every emotion is genuine, every feeling believable. Goodkind's novels were 2am page turners in a desperate attempt to discover what happens next. But as Goodkind wrote more novels, I did become disappointed in how he was portraying his characters: it became a classic case of an author falling in love with his creations. He is definitely no Martin when it comes to eliminating characters.


However, this is only a small irk in my love for these stories. I have thoroughly enjoyed every Goodkind novel. I thought I'd do a FANTASY REWIND on Goodkind since I'm about half-way through newest novel, The Omen Machine. So stayed tuned, fantasy friends. Another review is on its way shortly. 


If you want to know anything about these stories, please feel free to leave comments and questions!

A quick note: a new fantasy rewind poll is up! Please vote as I always look forward to writing about my favourite authors.

Review - Prince of Thorns, Mark Lawrence

Let's be honest. I'm not a fan of the inherently bad protagonist. My belief is that ambitions inspire motives and those motives inspire deeds; what is good or evil is but a matter of perspective. Yet something inside willed me to buy this book. Perhaps it was the want for a traditional fantasy novel or perhaps I was curious to see if the inherently bad could be pulled off. Whatever the reason, Prince of Thorns arrived on my doorstep in beautiful hardcover, begging me - or more appropriately, threatening me - to read the pages within.

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Plot -
Prince of Thorns has a satisfying balance between pace and plot. The story is easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable as you enter the thick of the tale. There are a few big moments that took me by surprise and the story remained relatively solid throughout. The relationship between the prince (the protagonist) and his father (the king) is epic. However, this is a story where readers should take note of the figures who lurk in the shadows. In essence, the tale is about the game of thrones, the ambitions of a kingdom and the fractured relationship between father and son.


World -
Prince of Thorns is set in your traditional fantasy world. Or so you think. Without spoiling anything, be on the lookout for a very surprising twist concerning the structure of the world. Whereas other fantasy novels exist with elements assumed and accepted as 'the norm', Prince of Thorns sets out to give a logical and clever explanation of why things are the way they are. This is a breath of fresh air, with some fantasy titles relying on readers to accept everything their world offers, just because they should. But do not fret, the world is everything you love about fantasy and more, but also expect the unexpected (to quote a cliched saying).

Characters -
The prince is inherently bad. But that's not the whole story. Lawrence provides you with reasons about why the prince does what he does, and not once did I feel that the prince was an immortal character doing bad things just because he can. There are many other memorable characters too and unlike some authors, Lawrence is not married to them. They can die just as easily as a nameless goon - and Lawrence does not linger on the details. I love this about fantasy novels.

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Prince of Thorns is the first fantasy title that I have enjoyed in a long while. I'm looking forward to reading the next two subsequent titles. If you love Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie or David Gemmell, you'll like Prince of Thorns. If you're looking for a fun read, light and enjoyable, Prince of Thorns is for you.

8/10

Review - Feed, Mira Grant.

Feed is a unique zombie novel down to its very foundations. Its an understatement to say that story that took me by surprise. Firstly, examine the cover: you see a cracked concrete background with the word 'Feed' smudged across the wall in blood. Above the word is a similarly stylised RSS logo (or RSS feed). What astounds me is how exact these images resonant with Mira Grant's story. It is approximately 30 years since the first zombie rose from the dead, and the world is a very different place.

If you're looking for a jam-packed story with relentless action, suspense and violence... you're reading the wrong novel. As expected, the story revolves around zombies but not as an in-your-face issue. Rather, the story is about the effects, fears and political agendas in a post-uprising world. The story is very slow - don't expect to be hooked until at least 400 pages into the story. But the final 200 pages justify this lack of excitement.

I have never read a zombie novel with so much meticulous detail. This isn't a story that merely says 'once upon a time everything was fine and then there were zombies.' Feed provides readers with a very realistic and well-reserached explanation of why the dead rise. The crux of the explanation is that everyone has the zombie gene: it is only with death that the gene is activated. I said before that the world is a very different place: since the uprising, people have become fearful of venturing outdoors. Thus, the rise of the bloggers have come about. This may sound stupid, but trust me, read this novel and it makes perfect sense.

My main disappointment is how slow the plot moved - it is literally a story about a news company following a presidential election... with zombies. However, I believe the end justifies the means. There is a slow reveal of something much larger than anything you could ever imagine - and confronts the reader with one of the biggest twists I have ever experienced in a novel. The characters are well-established, easy to like and if not a tad stereotypical, at least fun to read about.

Feed is well worth the trudge through the first 400 pages of exposition. I pulled a 2am-er just finishing the novel. It's that good!

4 out of 5

Review - King Rat, China Mieville

China Mieville is an author I've been willing myself to pick up and try. I was forever approached by people and lectured about how gritty and graphic, weird and wonderful Mieville's stories are. Having now completed King Rat, I can tell you that these descriptions are indeed true... with exceptions.

King Rat is probably the weirdest story I have read. It spins a tale about a man who discovers that he is half-human, half-rat. This entitles him to all the powers of a rat (whatever they are). In essence, the story follows the urbanised, shunned superhero: Ratman. The book is around 400 pages and could probably be knocked over in about a week of on-again-off-again reading. The language is descriptive, if not a tad strange, describing things in a way that I have never even considered, let alone read in a novel. However, there were moments in the story when I did question Mievillie's word usage. More often than not, it felt like Mieville was going to a Thesaurus and choosing words just because they looked sophisticated. Perhaps a read of Orwell's Politics and the English Language could have benefited Mieville here?

My biggest disappointment about this novel is how easily I guessed the plot and the ending (to an extent). Once I had guessed the major plot points, the reading of the novel was a little less enjoyable. There were some very interesting characters in this book and Mieville took them in directions I found fascinating. It was a certainly a change of pace from the traditional, classical fantasy that usually finds its way into my hands. But in saying this, they were characters I couldn't really associate with.

I still don't know what to think about this novel. I think I enjoyed it, but I feel like I didn't. I think it would definitely appeal to someone who is more into the gritty, punk-like way of life. For me, it's just not my thing. But would I read more China Mieville?

Probably. 

3 OUT OF 5

Fantasy Rewind 2: The First Law Trilogy, Joe Abercrombie

The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is a set of three novels adhered together to create a single, epic tale. Just like every other fantasy trilogy, I hear you shout from the sidelines. No, it is not just like every other fantasy trilogy. The novels act as progression points in developing a violent, sophisticated and politicalised world - yes, politics!

The Blade Itself is the first novel, followed by Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. Don't be deceived: you cannot judge these books by their covers. I quickly discovered the titles have nothing to do with the story. Though if you look carefully, you'll be able to discover the roots of these quotes and garner an appreciation of just how well-constructed these novels are. Each novel is broken into three parts, each with a quote attached as an introduction. I found that I was looking forward to the next section of the novel for both a new quote and the next stage of the tale.

In my own opinion, the First Law Trilogy is the most well-rounded and satisfying series of novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Each character is interesting and believable, likeable and dislikable. The political world is intertwined with murder, violence and torture: themes that have come to define Joe Abercrombie as a serious, fantasy author. The story is not particularly exciting and jam-packed with action, but it pans out as an interesting tale that draws you in with each page turn.

I cannot relate Joe Abercrombie to any other author I have read, or rather any other author that pulls off unjustifiable violence so well. The First Law Trilogy is a series that surprised me more often than not. I finished Last Argument of Kings with a deep sigh of satisfaction. Not surprisingly, Joe Abercrombie went on to write two more novels, Best Served Cold and The Heroes, both of which surpassed all my expectations. Abercrombie has also been commissioned to write another stand-alone novel and trilogy, set in the same world.

The story follows three main characters and three semi-main characters. Abercrombie does well in always keeping your attention and not dawdling on one character for too long. You come to care about each character's ambitions and fears, a rare experience in a literary world competing for their reader's attention. Fantasy sells from a fan-base and Abercrombie does well in generating one.

If you're in for a good tale of intrigue, betrayal and violence, Abercrombie is a sure bet. Happy reading!

Short Story - Abomination, R. J. Creaney.

Abomination is the first tantalising tale from our newest Australian author, R. J. Creaney. Never heard of him? Shame on you. Unfortunately, being a short story, it is only available in the Kindle edition. But for those of you with a Mac, the Kindle application is easily downloadable. At the very least convince a friend to download it. It's also available on the PC, if you're interested.

Abomination is set in 9th century France where a warrior sets out to confront the abomination he has been chasing for many a year. It is a dark fantasy story with a twist. If you're a fan of necromancy and the rising dead, you'll love this story. I was strangely reminded of the game Diablo. The mood is dark and the landscape grey and uninviting.  Creaney writes with clarity and chooses his words carefully. However, I regret the points where the story both started and ended. To me, Abomination could have been a much larger tale. The characters are rich in detail and I could sense a whole backstory that never made it on to the page.

If you love your history, Creaney has you covered. He nails the essence of 9th century France, and I felt as if I was reading a piece of mythology from that time. I really have no criticisms. It could have been longer, a bit more fleshed out in terms of character development and exposition, but then I remind myself that I was reading a short story and not a novel. For those interested in sampling what could be the next big author, check out this link. You won't regret it.

Review - City of Ashes, Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes in the second book in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series. Clare welcomes you back to her world of vampires, werwolves and down-worlders with open arms and a brand new story. But in saying that, City of Ashes certainly reads as unnecessary exposition book two in a planned trilogy.

In this story, Jace and Clary are back to their old antics as they continue their struggle against the infamous crusader, Valentine. Joined by the old gang, Jace and Clary travel from place to place, argue, travel, argue... and that about sums up the story. I'm not saying that City of Ashes was a bad book. In fact, I loved it. I think the premise is intractably constructed and Clare writes with artistic brilliancy. However, the story is really driven (haha) by travel and arguing.

There was also plenty of twists and turns as I have come to expect from Cassandra Clare. The characters are well-developed and believable - though I do question the authenticity of the Inquisitor's motives. The Jace/Clary relationship is slightly disturbing and I felt that it was a bit of a distraction from the overall flow of the story. Other than those small irritants, the story flowed pretty much flawlessly.

In terms of originality, Clare nails it. She does borrow a few of the more overused mythological creatures in popular culture, but it doesn't affect the structure of the story. If you loved book one, then you'll probably love book two. I'll be reading book three, but not any time soon. City of Ashes left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. That's just of my own opinion.

Story: 6/10
Characters: 9/10
World: 8/10
Impression: 6/10
Overall: 7.5/10