Evil for Evil by K.J. Parker

… Evil for Evil hits the road running and not once does the plot slow down or ease up. Parker’s writing is, as always, rich, detailed, evocative and dry. The theme is the same: the importance, and ultimately destructiveness, of love as well as the importance of creation and desire. While these themes may seem rather mundane and arbitrary, Parker weaves them into a complex, multi-faceted plot that can’t help but suck the reader in… Parker makes the characters pop to such brilliant life I almost felt like they weren’t just written in a book, but actually existed in the real world around me. The plot is every bit as complex and profound as it is in Devices and Desires… While I didn’t find myself as surprised with Evil for Evil as I was with Devices and Desires, there are quite a few wham-bam plot punches toward the end that left me reeling and nearly suffering heart palpitations… Read the rest.

City of Ruin by Mark Charan Newton

… I loved Nights of Villjamur. It’s one of the rare books I actually allotted five out of five stars, so City of Ruin was both highly anticipated and had quite a few expectations to live up to. It’s always hard for me to read a book I anticipate as much as I anticipated this one because the fear that it will fail miserably to live up to the hype seems to be doubled… City of Ruin is, if possible, even better than its predecessor. Newton has hit his literary stride… Read the rest.

The Escapement by K.J. Parker

The Escapement picks up where Evil for Evil left off. It’s shorter than the previous two books in The Engineer Trilogy, but for all its brevity, it’s still packed with surprises. After reading two books without fully knowing what is being manipulated and planned, readers are presented with nearly constant revelations regarding characters and plot points that had only been hinted at and alluded to before. Up to this point in the trilogy, Parker has indirectly discussed love and the question of the existence of good and evil. The Escapement explores these ideas openly in dialogue and self-monologues. Conversations about whether good and evil truly exist and about the driving force and impact of love are absolutely fascinating and provocative… The plot moves at a nearly breakneck pace and the ending is painfully realistic and satisfying. However, it is Parker’s attention to detail and to the underlying themes of the series that really make these books shine. This is a detailed, deep and layered plot that is sure to satisfy those who itch for something along these lines. I, for one, find myself absolutely enamored with The Escapement and The Engineer Trilogy. Read the rest.

Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

I have a love-hate relationship with Kate Elliott’s work. I have never thought Elliott was a bad author; I usually have problems instead with the overall story she is telling. That being said, I was incredibly skeptical when I picked up Cold Magic. It took me about five or six chapters to get into the book, as the first few chapters are set up to agonizingly prove to the reader that the protagonist is a painfully normal girl in a changing world who has some ultra-mysterious family history. After a plot twist around page 80, I felt sucked in and really started enjoying what I was reading. Cold Magic is set in an alternative Earth in the nineteenth century. Elliott creates the history of this alternative earth by drawing on our own past and infusing it with interesting creatures like trolls and fey. Elliott’s setting is incredibly captivating, with just enough real history to make the world pop and enough fantastic elements (like some steampunk and magic) to keep the fantasy reader interested… Read the rest.

Devices and Desires by K.J. Parker

How could I not automatically love a book where the first line is: “The quickest way to a man’s heart,’ said the instructor, ‘is proverbially through his stomach. But if you want to get into his brain, I recommend the eye-socket.” It was love at first sight. K.J. Parker’s Devices and Desires is a complex, quickly moving book that is filled with what I am quickly discovering to be Parker’s unique, cynical voice…  This book is complex, quick moving, unpredictable and filled with astounding depth…. Reading Devices and Desires is like taking a walk through another world just as complex and fraught with light, dark and gray as our own… Read the rest.

River of Gods by Ian McDonald

Ian McDonald’s River of Gods is a complex, multi-threaded tale that takes place in near-future India which has been split into somewhat warring states. There is a water shortage as the monsoon hasn’t come in three years, a rigid caste system is in place, and political and economic strife is tearing cities apart at the seams. While the rich get richer and designer babies are common among the elite, there is a gross gender imbalance where men outnumber women by two thirds. It’s a complex, foreign, and unique world… McDonald is incredibly descriptive, and he seems to purposefully take a “no holds barred” stance with many of his scenes. He equally describes the good, bad and ugly sides of his world in shocking detail… Read the rest.

Shadow by K.J. Parker

Shadow by K.J. Parker is a difficult book to recommend because I highly enjoyed it, but I can also understand why many readers might hate it or be unable to finish it. It’s a unique book… Because of the heavy internal dialogue and the slow rate at which important facts are revealed, many might find Shadow a plodding and tedious read. Because the main character doesn’t know who he is through most of the book, readers may feel disconnected. However, for those who are willing to immerse themselves in the world of an amnesiac, the effort will be well rewarded… Shadow is subtle, deep, and slow to develop. It’s an incredible account of self-discovery and it poses important questions and prompts deep thoughts… Read the rest.

Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe

I picked up Rules of Ascension randomly from the library. I was wandering around the shelves and saw the guy on the cover and thought, “huh, he’s oddly white…” This sealed the deal. I had to learn more about the abnormally white guy on the cover (isn’t my thought process fascinating?). It was rather exciting to pick up a book I had never heard of and knew nothing about. The experience paid off. I didn’t have high hopes for this book, but it ended up pleasantly surprising me… All in all I really enjoyed Rules of Ascension and am quite surprised that the WINDS OF THE FORELANDS series hasn’t raised more of a fuss among fans of epic fantasy. Read the rest.

The King’s Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells

I was really excited to read The King’s Bastard. Now that I’ve finished it I find myself both pleased and a little disappointed... Daniells has set up a unique world with a plot that, if not the most groundbreaking, has many aspects that are distinctive enough to become incredibly attention-grabbing in further books. The writing is choppy, the characters do lack depth and (in some cases) maturity, and I did get annoyed with how detached I felt from the plot. However, The King’s Bastard is a solid effort and an easy page-turner. I plowed through half the book in a matter of hours. The plot is relentless in its pace, never lagging, quickly making up for a slow start. King Rolen’s Kin seems to be a series most readers either love or hate, but it was a very average read for me. Many readers, however, absolutely love this series and sing its praises — and the enthusiasm of all these satisfied readers shows that there is something here worth exploring. Read the rest.

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

… Shades of Milk and Honey is enjoyable for readers who are willing to appreciate it for what it is: a surface-level read, good for light entertainment, but not for deep thought. Fans of Regency manners and Jane Austen should check this book out. Kowal’s writing is charming and her research of the period is obvious and thorough. However, when looked at a bit closer, Shades of Milk and Honey is an average read. It lacks depth, the world and characters aren’t well rounded, and the nonsensical magic system seems dropped in on a whim. With the right expectations, it’s worth giving this book a shot. It’s a very quick read that just might surprise you. Read the rest.