Travis Baldree took the fantasy world by storm by creating his coffee shop fantasy novel LEGENDS AND LATTES. It was probably my favorite novel of the Travis Baldree took the fantasy world by storm by creating his coffee shop fantasy novel LEGENDS AND LATTES. It was probably my favorite novel of the year and it was a beautiful antidote to all the grimdark fantasy that was my usual diet. Its not that I don't love grimdark (shout out to Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Rob J. Hayes, and Michael R. Fletcher) but just as I love writing post-apocalypse Cthulhu Mythos, I also love writing silly superhero comedies. Same with my reading.
So, my review of BRIGANDS AND BREADKNIVES will come with some caveats. I absolutely loved the writing for this third volume in the series and the characters are incredibly enjoyable. There's going to be praise for several specific ideas and quite a lot of the humor that manages to enrich the drama. This is a good book and I give it 4 out of 5 stars if I'm required to give it an arbitrary rating. But there is going to be an asterisk (no, not the elf--you'll understand later) that needs to be addressed: this is not cozy fantasy.
A bit like how KINGS OF THE WYLD shifted from a Blues Brothers/This is Spinal Tap-esque parody of the music industry to a straight fantasy epic in BLOODY ROSE, Brigands and Breadknives is a solid humorous high fantasy novel. It's also got multiple battles, one of the protagonists severely injured for months, and the underlying theme of depression as well as being unsatisfied with your life's work.
The previous novel, BOOKSHOPS AND BONEDUST, received some complaints about having to deal with an evil necromancer in addition to saving a failing bookshop. However, this goes quite a bit further into an epic adventure. If the Hobbit isn't cozy fantasy, and it most certainly is not, this is definitely around the same area of adventure versus humor. Plus, I was really hoping for a lot more Viv and this is all Fern's show except for a cameo in the beginning and end.
The premise, after that exceptional preamble, is that Fern the bookselling ratkin, opens up a shop next to Legends and Lattes. This turns out to be a great idea financially and it is successful after a week. This, unfortunately, horrifies Fern because she turns out to be sick of being a bookseller. Getting blackout drunk, she passes out in a cart and wakes up in the back of Astryx (see the above joke) the Oathmaiden's cart. A legendary elven swordswoman, she is delivering a goblin bounty across the countryside. The logistics of the journey don't make much sense but it doesn't have to with protection rackets, not so evil Cthulhu cults, and a talking breadknife that used to be a great sword.
My favorite part of the story is probably the cult of Tarim, which is perhaps the most coherent argument for worshiping an evil god of tentacles you're ever going to receive in fantasy. More mixed is my opinion on Tullah the Orc barbarian who is an incredibly effective villain, hunting Astyrx relentlessly for destroying her brigand band and triggering decades of leveling up for revenge. Why mixed? Well, because they're such an incredibly effective villain. I also really wish Fern had made a different decision at the end of the novel. If you know, you'll know.
A great flagon of ale tale but sadly not a latte....more
ART AND ARCANA is a visual guide to the history of Dungeons and Dragons starting with Chainmail and the early stuff by gifted amateurs ranging throughART AND ARCANA is a visual guide to the history of Dungeons and Dragons starting with Chainmail and the early stuff by gifted amateurs ranging through the Elmore/Caldwell years to the present. Given AI art is about to replace this rich and dramatic history, it's perhaps a collection dedicated to the best years of the company. It doesn't give an immense amount of information but the sheer volume of beautiful images more or less makes up for it. ...more
BRUTAL: AN EPIC GRIMDARK FANTASY by James Alderice is an homage to the classic Western A FISTFULL OF DOLLARS, 1920s gangster movie LAST MAN STANDING, BRUTAL: AN EPIC GRIMDARK FANTASY by James Alderice is an homage to the classic Western A FISTFULL OF DOLLARS, 1920s gangster movie LAST MAN STANDING, and samurai story YOJIMBO. The premise for it is a remarkably flexible one. Basically, a lone warrior goes into a town which is controlled by two rival gangs. Playing the two against one another, he attempts to make a fortune but things quickly spiral out of hill.
Brutal takes the premise and applies it to a high fantasy setting. An unnamed warrior, clearly standing in for the Man with No Name and going by "The Sellsword" visits a Duchy where two wizards have divided the region in two. The local Duchess soon attempts to win over the Sellsword with softer methods and he proves to be a lot smarter than his stoic mercenary demeanor suggests. Who is he really working for? Himself? The Kingdom? The Duke? One of his employers? These are the mysteries which guide the story.
Despite its title as an epic grimdark fantasy, this is actually a fairly self-contained story that is for adults but not particularly gritty or dark. Individuals who don't like grimdark will be able to enjoy it while those who don't like sacharrine good versus evil will find it sufficiently cynical to be enjoyed. I put it roughly on par with Conan the Barbarian or the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories. Which is to say R-rated but not trying to go to extremes.
The Sellsword is hurt by the fact they don't even bother to give him an alias. There's also the fact the book deliberately obfuscates almost every element of his past, which tends to work better onscreen than in fiction. Nevertheless, we get enough of his personality from encountering various characters to know who he is and what he stands for. One of my favorite moments is the encounter with a bandit on the road to his destination where he is patient rather than threatened before finally losing his amusement after the poor fool refuses to take a hint.
I liked the romance between him and the Duchess as well. Too often authors try to make true love stories between manipulative and lying characters. In this case, both the Duchess and the Sellsword play each other from beginning to end, which is a far more interesting dynamic. The fact both come to respect each other versus love each other is entertaining and reminds me a bit of the Mel Gibson/Jodie Foster dynamic of Maverick.
There's a bit of a mystery spread throughout the book with a secondary one as to the Sellsword's identity. I figured out the latter fairly quickly, remembering the Conan influences, but the central mystery as to what the hell is actually going on behind the scenes was a lot more difficult to figure out. The results were quite satisfying and had plenty of clues which made sense in retrospect.
Brutal is a solid piece of fantasy and while a bit rough around the edges in places, it's still always entertaining. James Alderice created a good work here with well-done world-building, fun characters, and a classic but not-overused plot adapted to a new setting. I think people looking for an afternoon's read could do much worse....more
George R.R. Martin will be forgiven by me for not completing the books only for the fact that some of the time he was spending not finishing them was George R.R. Martin will be forgiven by me for not completing the books only for the fact that some of the time he was spending not finishing them was creating the elaborate mythology of Elden Ring. The Road to the Erd Tree is a hilarious parody of the game but it is gradually becoming more similar to the main game as we introduce Godwyn the Golden's murder. Fia, Those Who Live In Death, and more all get introduced here. We also get the attempt by Seluvis to puppet Ranni and Aseo doing the right thing by her....more
THE ELDEN RING: THE ROAD TO THE ERDTREE volume #6 is the first big change to the hilarious parody of the Elden Ring franchise. Specifically, Aseo procTHE ELDEN RING: THE ROAD TO THE ERDTREE volume #6 is the first big change to the hilarious parody of the Elden Ring franchise. Specifically, Aseo proceeds to become the kind of badass who might actually complete the game. This despite the fact that he was utterly incompetent against the first boss and couldn't beat Godrick or Renalla. Here, Aseo actually stands up to Radahn in what is a genuine contest of skill (backed by a bunch of incompetent soldiers as in the game). I'm not sure how this will effect the comedy but I'm glad they did this....more
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES is a fantastic historical fiction novel that follows the creation of the Knights Templar and the aftermath of the First C TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES is a fantastic historical fiction novel that follows the creation of the Knights Templar and the aftermath of the First Crusade WITH VAMPIRES! This is a great work that you don't need much knowledge about Vampire: The Masquerade or Vampire: The Dark Ages to enjoy. I really enjoyed the characters created by David Niall Wilson, especially Montrovant, who are a mixture of the supremely faithful and disgustingly manipulative of religion. Joshua Saxon did a great job narrating this book and I strongly recommend picking up the audiobook over the ebook or paperback version....more
THE DEATH OF SLEEP is a Bloodborne comic about a Hunter predating the in the video game attempting to save a young boy from being torn apart by a BlooTHE DEATH OF SLEEP is a Bloodborne comic about a Hunter predating the in the video game attempting to save a young boy from being torn apart by a Blood-Starved Beast hunting it. It also shows Ioseska before she is killed and replaced. I liked the story but there's only so much of a tale you can put in five issues. Still, a fan of the video game, I have to say it captures a lot of the Gothic darkness that made it so enjoyable....more
ANGRY LEAD SKIES has Garret find himself in the unwanted position of dealing with a bunch of gray aliens that are misidentified as elves. They are aftANGRY LEAD SKIES has Garret find himself in the unwanted position of dealing with a bunch of gray aliens that are misidentified as elves. They are after a boy with the unusual gift of invention and might as well be a mad scientist. Aside from the oddity of Garrett banging an alien, I can’t say this is my favorite of the PI books. It’s just a little too weird....more
Aseo is after his second rune in this delightful absurdist comedy that still manages to contain a huge chunk of the lore and plot of Elden Ring. The TAseo is after his second rune in this delightful absurdist comedy that still manages to contain a huge chunk of the lore and plot of Elden Ring. The Tarnished follows Ranni's advice to go after her mother's rune and that leads them to the land of lakes, wizards, and overextended mothers with too many undead children. I had a lot of fun with this one but it is also a contest decided by super Ranni fanboys versus any skill on our hero's part. Which is good because he has (almost?) none....more
Another fantastic installment of the Elden Ring comedy adaptation. In this case, they have introduced Milicent and finally forced Aseo ("Tarnished") tAnother fantastic installment of the Elden Ring comedy adaptation. In this case, they have introduced Milicent and finally forced Aseo ("Tarnished") to the land of Caelid. Aseo is getting good (pun intended) and becoming a lot more dangerous than he started as. I also think he has chemistry with every girl in the series too....more
Another fantastic installment of the Elden Ring comedy adaptation. In this case, they have introduced Milicent and finally forced Aseo ("Tarnished") tAnother fantastic installment of the Elden Ring comedy adaptation. In this case, they have introduced Milicent and finally forced Aseo ("Tarnished") to the land of Caelid. Aseo is getting good (pun intended) and becoming a lot more dangerous than he started as. I also think he has chemistry with every girl in the series too....more
Aseo is after his second rune in this delightful absurdist comedy that still manages to contain a huge chunk of the lore and plot of Elden Ring. The TAseo is after his second rune in this delightful absurdist comedy that still manages to contain a huge chunk of the lore and plot of Elden Ring. The Tarnished follows Ranni's advice to go after her mother's rune and that leads them to the land of lakes, wizards, and overextended mothers with too many undead children. I had a lot of fun with this one but it is also a contest decided by super Ranni fanboys versus any skill on our hero's part. Which is good because he has (almost?) none. ...more
THE TOMB OF DRAGONS (The Chronicles of Osreth #4, The Cemeteries of Amalo #3) by Katherine Addison is her fourth book in the steampunk fantasy world of Osreth as well as third following the adventures of Thara Celehar, Witness of the Dead. I admit, I miss Maia from THE GOBLIN EMPEROR but I have come to treasure my experiences with Thara. He is a rare kind of protagonist in that he is older, a gay, nonconfrontational. and a figure who uses his words far more than he ever does his fists. He is far more the kind of protagonist you’d find in a mystery novel than you would your typical fantasy story and reminds me a bit of Brother Cadfael.
I very much enjoy the world of Osreth because it is an incredibly realized world and while the names may be a little hard to pronounce or remember, the idea of a fantasy world entering into its age of airships, photography, and trains is little-used enough that I enjoy reading about it. I remember the game ARCANUM: OF STEAMWORKS AND MAGIC OBSCURA and think Osreth is, bluntly, a better written version of this. There’s no gunpowder in Osreth, at least as far as I can tell, but it is a highly evolving world casting off the darkness of the old era.
The premise for this novel is that Thara is kidnapped by a group of disgruntled miners who take him to speak with the ghost of a dragon who has been killing people in “his” mountain. Thara finds out that the dragons of Osreth have been subject to a genocide and the roughly 170 odd mines in the region are all built over dead dragon’s homes. Dragons are very good at fighting knights, it turns out, but not so much poison gas pumped into their caves. I found that a clever little detail and one that added to the sense of Osreth as a changing place.
Thara finds it his job to serve as the witness for the dead dragons, even though a large chunk of the population don’t believe them to be people and there is an economic interest in making sure that the atrocity doesn’t come to light. Basically, some of the mines are still active and incredibly lucrative. So much so that bringing down the company that killed the dragons would result in the collapse of the Empire. There’s also a subplot about Thara losing his ability to talk to the dead, another murder at the opera, fixing a corrupt parish’s registry for the dead, and a local lordling escaping house arrest. All of which end up tying together as these things often do in stories.
So, is it any good? Yes, yes it is. I love Katherine Addison’s prose, her ability to make things as surreal as confronting a bureaucracy that has just given up on doing their jobs into a fascinating story. It reminds me a bit of Discworld and the Moist von Lipwig stories despite the fact Thara and he could not be less alike.However, I do have one complaint that knocks down the book a star rating or so because it is something that did affect my enjoyment: The story kind of wraps up way too neatly.
Thara is good friends with the Emperor, the evil corporate types keep digging a deeper hole for themselves, and much of the resolution requires nothing to be sacrificed by the “good guys.” I feel like when dealing with generational crimes, genocide, racism, and so on that you probably shouldn’t just have it be a simple solution. Worse, there’s several times where the book suggests that the good guys will have to compromise on justice that would have made a better story, in my humble opinion. Maybe recent events have just made believe happy endings in politics are just not very satisfying in and of themselves.
In conclusion, THE TOMB OF DRAGONS is very enjoyable if you liked the previous ones in the series then you’ll probably like this. I feel like the happy ending is a bit unearned, though, and I would have liked more difficulty in trying to satisfy the parties involved. As always with Katherine Addison, prepare to have great difficulty with the names....more
A series of interviews with the cast, crew, and George R.R. Martin about the making of the eight seasons of A Game of Thrones. There's a lot of insighA series of interviews with the cast, crew, and George R.R. Martin about the making of the eight seasons of A Game of Thrones. There's a lot of insights here that I found to be fascinating even if they don't admit to many of their mistakes. For example, we really do see how it was cutting massive amounts of content from the seasons and overtaking Martin that threw him as a writer. We'll probably never see the remaining books of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE but I give massive props to the showrunners for their accomplishment. Except for Season 8. Season 8 blew. Even with the explanations here, it blew....more
GUARDIANS OF DRAGON KEEP is the sequel to LORDS OF DRAGON KEEP and the second of the Dark Undermaster books that is my dip into the fantastic world ofGUARDIANS OF DRAGON KEEP is the sequel to LORDS OF DRAGON KEEP and the second of the Dark Undermaster books that is my dip into the fantastic world of LitRPG. I had a very good response with the previous volume as people loved my satire of The Witcher, Game of Thrones, and various video game RPGs. I think they're also love this one as well as it continues the fantastic story of Aragorn "Aaron" Bartkowski and his attempts to save the magical Southern Kingdoms on the world of Mokosh.
This installment has him up against the beautiful Fire Demon, his ex-girlfriend, and the God of Evil Veles. We also meet some crazy members of his family. Aaron tries to save everyone through the power of diplomacy but can that overcome a world that seems to run on the power of cynical fantasy deconstruction? Will his romance with Ania go from friends with benefits to something real? Pick up a copy and find out!...more
RED SONJA: CONSUMED is a novel by Gail Simone, who is the author of my favorite run of the RED SONJA comic. Red Sonja herself is one of the most succe
RED SONJA: CONSUMED is a novel by Gail Simone, who is the author of my favorite run of the RED SONJA comic. Red Sonja herself is one of the most successful spin off characters in modern fiction as a creation of Roy Thomas, based on Sonya of Rogatino in “The Shadow of the Vulture.” Even if you’re not familiar with the character, you’re probably familiar with the chain mail bikini clad barbarian archetype that burned itself into the brains of many a teenage boy (as well as girl). Impractical an outfit as it may be, she has had hundreds of adventures and fascinating stories in the Sword and Sorcery genre and is only really rivaled by Conan himself.
Gail Simone’s run was mildly controversial because she re-imagined the character in several ways from the classic Thomas incarnation. The classic Thomas incarnation was straight, a survivor of sexual assault, and bound by an oath never to lie with a man unless he first defeated her in battle. Most of which was depicted in the Brigitte Nielsen movie. Gail Simone’s Red Sonja was gleefully bisexual, thankfully spared such a trauma (but not the death of her village), and every bit as amorous as Conan himself. Several Dynamite writers have continued this element with regards to her past and sexuality.
Red Sonja: Consumed follows the Gail Simone comic incarnation (no kidding, I know) but with several key differences. This seems to be a more experienced Red Sonja, feeling more in her thirties if not forties, rather than the younger incarnation that is still making her legend. She’s also slightly smarter and wiser as the one from the comics had a tendency toward lunkheadery that may or may not be related to her copious alcohol consumption. This Sonja is at the height of her legend and not entirely happy with the fact she’s inspiring scores of young women to follow in her footsteps.
The premise is Sonja is hired to rob a local queen of a precious golden asp arm bracelet. Sonja takes the opportunity to seduce her and make off in the middle of the night. Were this Conan, she would send her forces to chase him and he’d give a big speech about he can’t be tied down. This seems to have been Sonja’s plan but it doesn’t work out nearly so well. Said Queen, Ysidra, has had her heart broken and Sonja feels like crap for robbing someone who had shown her affection. There’s also her employer who wants the asp, an uprising of supernatural monsters, and the usual corrupt kings as well as guards.
Sex and sexuality is handled interestingly in Gail Simone’s Hyborian Age. It’s a far more egalitarian society with more common female warriors (not that Howard’s was lacking as we see in Valeria and Belit) but not equality. Sonja carouses quite a bit with both a threesome with two bathers (male and female) as well as briefly joining a polycule of Hyrkanian warriors (same). This will mean nothing to some fans and just a reflection of the sexually charged world of Howard updated to the 21st century. Others will be put off by it, especially those who think her vow as an important part of her character.
The action is excellent and there’s some well-done characterization throughout. Red Sonja gets deconstructed as we see a somewhat more mature perspective on her life of free-booting, drinking, and sleeping around with no attachments being incredibly fun in her twenties but less rewarding as time marches on. Then it’s just lonely and pathetic. It’s pretty easy to see how the “romances” will end up as well as the main plot but that doesn’t mean it’s not rewarding to reach them both. I recommend this for Sword and Sorcery fans as well as those who enjoy “lone wanderer” fantasy....more
RED SONJA: CONSUMED is a novel by Gail Simone, who is the author of my favorite run of the RED SONJA comic. Red Sonja herself is one of the most succeRED SONJA: CONSUMED is a novel by Gail Simone, who is the author of my favorite run of the RED SONJA comic. Red Sonja herself is one of the most successful spin off characters in modern fiction as a creation of Roy Thomas, based on Sonya of Rogatino in “The Shadow of the Vulture.” Even if you’re not familiar with the character, you’re probably familiar with the chain mail bikini clad barbarian archetype that burned itself into the brains of many a teenage boy (as well as girl). Impractical an outfit as it may be, she has had hundreds of adventures and fascinating stories in the Sword and Sorcery genre and is only really rivaled by Conan himself.
Gail Simone’s run was mildly controversial because she re-imagined the character in several ways from the classic Thomas incarnation. The classic Thomas incarnation was straight, a survivor of sexual assault, and bound by an oath never to lie with a man unless he first defeated her in battle. Most of which was depicted in the Brigitte Nielsen movie. Gail Simone’s Red Sonja was gleefully bisexual, thankfully spared such a trauma (but not the death of her village), and every bit as amorous as Conan himself. Several Dynamite writers have continued this element with regards to her past and sexuality.
Red Sonja: Consumed follows the Gail Simone comic incarnation (no kidding, I know) but with several key differences. This seems to be a more experienced Red Sonja, feeling more in her thirties if not forties, rather than the younger incarnation that is still making her legend. She’s also slightly smarter and wiser as the one from the comics had a tendency toward lunkheadery that may or may not be related to her copious alcohol consumption. This Sonja is at the height of her legend and not entirely happy with the fact she’s inspiring scores of young women to follow in her footsteps.
The premise is Sonja is hired to rob a local queen of a precious golden asp arm bracelet. Sonja takes the opportunity to seduce her and make off in the middle of the night. Were this Conan, she would send her forces to chase him and he’d give a big speech about he can’t be tied down. This seems to have been Sonja’s plan but it doesn’t work out nearly so well. Said Queen, Ysidra, has had her heart broken and Sonja feels like crap for robbing someone who had shown her affection. There’s also her employer who wants the asp, an uprising of supernatural monsters, and the usual corrupt kings as well as guards.
Sex and sexuality is handled interestingly in Gail Simone’s Hyborian Age. It’s a far more egalitarian society with more common female warriors (not that Howard’s was lacking as we see in Valeria and Belit) but not equality. Sonja carouses quite a bit with both a threesome with two bathers (male and female) as well as briefly joining a polycule of Hyrkanian warriors (same). This will mean nothing to some fans and just a reflection of the sexually charged world of Howard updated to the 21st century. Others will be put off by it, especially those who think her vow as an important part of her character.
The action is excellent and there’s some well-done characterization throughout. Red Sonja gets deconstructed as we see a somewhat more mature perspective on her life of free-booting, drinking, and sleeping around with no attachments being incredibly fun in her twenties but less rewarding as time marches on. Then it’s just lonely and pathetic. It’s pretty easy to see how the “romances” will end up as well as the main plot but that doesn’t mean it’s not rewarding to reach them both. I recommend this for Sword and Sorcery fans as well as those who enjoy “lone wanderer” fantasy....more
GOAT by Allan Batchelder is a fantastic story of a guy who gets turned into, yes, a goat and proceeds to find himself by talking inanimate objects as GOAT by Allan Batchelder is a fantastic story of a guy who gets turned into, yes, a goat and proceeds to find himself by talking inanimate objects as well as other victims of a sci-fi bit of silliness. It's a very fun tale that's a bit on the short side and thoroughly nonserious. I think those seeking a fun afternoon read to relax their brain will find this story to be very entertaining....more
THE NEO-ANARCHIST'S GUIDE TO REAL LIFE is a really useful supplement for 1st Edition Shadowrun. This book provides a lot of information on fashion, coTHE NEO-ANARCHIST'S GUIDE TO REAL LIFE is a really useful supplement for 1st Edition Shadowrun. This book provides a lot of information on fashion, concealable armaments, security systems, the layout of a McDonald's (McHughs) except updated for 2050, how airplanes as well as airports work, plus other incredibly useful material for Shadowrunners trying to immerse themselves in the Sixth Age. I strongly recommend this one as a must-have for Storytellers....more
