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November Review Round-up

November Review Round-up

So the second last Review Round-up of the year! I have to say that I haven't read my forecast's in time, my apologies for this but like I said in the December forecast those remaining reviews are in bound asap! 

Here is the highlight of books that I found noteworthy:

1. The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan (Orbit)
Are you a fan of epic fantasy? with thieves? Have you read The Crown Tower yet? No? shame on you! Now you can say "you should be talking" well I have to admit this is the first introduction to the books of Michael J. Sullivan and his Riyria world but it has been a great introduction and I definitely want more. The Crown Tower is the first prequel to the original Riyria Revelation series, wherein Michael J. Sullivan takes the reader back to when it all first started between Hadrian and Royce or in my case introduces these two great characters for the first time. The story is just one big adventure and Hadrian and Royce are shown in their own personalities that clash more than a few times, but besides the impressive story, Michael J. Sullivan's writing is very engaging and he managed to pull me into his story for the get go. This series is really a must read for fantasy fans.
Read the full review here

2. Age of Blood by Weston Ochse (Titan Books)

 Earlier this year I was introduced to the SEAL Team 666 books of Weston Ochse and I immediately liked the premise of the story. A specialized dedicated SEAL Team that hunts, destroys and eradicates the supernatural threats that endanger the United States of America. Age of Blood picks up directly after SEAL Team 666, and this time around the SEAL are in for some bloody business. What makes this story so cool is that Weston Ochse knows what he is writing about. The way that Weston Ochse describes military tactics, weapons and other gear is just utterly cool, and directly plays a into the "guy toy" category. Though the focus is a bit more on the military aspect and it does seem to draw the attention a bit from the characters, they are all this there, and what does come to show and what I really liked about the SEAL Team itself is that the cameraderie is perfectly captured. However narly the situation might become, you can always trust your fellow team member and pull through. 

Read the full review here

3. Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (Harper Voyager)

 THE EPIC CONCLUSION! YES! Ever since having read the first book in the Broken Empire Trilogy, Prince of Thorns, I wanted more and more. Jorg is an amazing character and has come to grow tremendously throughout the whole series. In Emperor of Thorns, Mark Lawrence takes his story even further and steers the story into a whole different direction that I would have guessed. Jorg is a ruthless, compassionless and vicious man... until he reaches this last volume and now he comes to understand a lot of things. Sees value in other people and their actions. This is just what makes his character great, yes on occasion he is still an ass but his overall character development is just superb. What makes this last volume and the whole Broken Empire series even better is the world that Mark Lawrence introduces you to, I don't know how to place the whole setting but it's part history part future and makes it a whole lot of interesting, there is technology, computer stuff and also magic, gunpowder and swords. The best thing is that we don't have to part with this world just yet, as 2014 will see the new series of Mark Lawrence

Read the full review here

4. The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock (Jo Fletcher)

 Not long ago I read the debut of Tom Pollock, The City's Son. That book pleasantly surprised me. I have been a fan of urban fantasy for quite sometime especially since the genre is so widespread and every author interprets it in their own way and Tom Pollock does it in a most interesting way. The first book saw quite a lot of cool scenes and in several ways had put the bar in a high place for the sequel, however Tom Pollock neatly stepped up his game in The Glass Republic and manages to take his story even further. I was utterly impressed and blown away with the cool concepts that I was introduced to in The Glass Republic. The whole mirrored London was just BRILLIANT!! It was constructed and executed in a great way especially with the concepts that Tom Pollock shows, the differences on how the societies of current London and the mirror version are. It really managed to awe me, on one hand you have a beautiful image but on the other hand it's quite dark, when you grasp the full meaning! It's definitely a recommendation for any UF fans out there.

Read the full review here

5. Rise of the Slavekeepers by Hugo Negron (self-published)

 I am not reading that many self published books anymore, mainly due to a lack of time. There are just too many great books out there but I have been in contact with Hugo negron for quite sometime now and ever since having read his Forging of a Knight series I have been hooked on his series. Last month saw the release of his second book and seeing this kind of work by a self published author makes me happy. The story of Forging of a Knight had a lot of possible continuation threats but where Rise of the Slavekeepers went I couldn't have guessed. There are some pretty cool concepts in Rise of the Slavekeepers and the characters that you are introduced to or re-introduced to all feel completely fleshed out. Hugo Negron does a tricky thing by introducing multiple dimensions in a epic fantasy story but trust me it works!

Read the full review here

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 Besides the interview several authors were kind enough to tell a bit more about themselves and you can read all about them in their interview:

Which book did you enjoy most in November?

Cheers,
Jasper
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