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Review Round-up August

Review Round-up August


1. Sleeping Late on Judgement Day by Tad Williams, Hodder and Stougthon

Though I expected a different type of story in Sleeping Late on Judgement Day as I explained above, but no worries there, Tad Williams still went above Heaven and through Hell to deliver one final, explosive and grande plot twist that will leave you with an echoing WOW. Trust me you won't see this one coming. It takes skill to write the story features in Sleeping Late in Judgement Day the action takes places at the 3/4 mark of the book but this is followed by how everything fit together with the Third Way initiative. Tad Williams keeps up the lively and entertaining persona of Bobby Dollar and his friends but also introducing a gritty undertone and maintaining the dark visions of Hell in his story

It's been a wonderful two years enjoying three Bobby Dollar books on after the other. Sadly the series has now come to an end, or is it... You know I have a gut feeling about a certain something that happens right at the end of the book... 
I cannot recommend Sleeping Late on Judgement Day or Happy Hour in Hell or The Dirty Street of Heaven often enough. These books are a lot of fun to read and breakthrough the current tropes of Urban Fantasy, I have read most of Tad Williams' other books and with the Bobby Dollar series he proves that he is on top of his game and knows how to write Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Children stories and Urban Fantasy. I hope he doesn't leave me waiting to long for his next book.

Read the full review here

2. The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs, Gollancz

Did I like The Incorruptibles. Hell yes! I often mention that I like to see author going into new directions with their books and this is definitely what John Hornor Jacobs is doing, mashing up several genres, in a terrific way (mashing up genres often goes horribly wrong), to create a completely never before seen setting. This is one of a kind, in a bestest (i know it isn't a word) way possible. From the world down to the characters, John Hornor Jacobs has a great way of highlighting the bigger picture, keeping enough obscure to be explored in the possible sequel, as well as showing the minor details that make the character tick. Though The Incorruptibles might start of slow for a lot of readers, for me this was just a great build up of tension, getting grips on the richly imagined world that features ever vividly be it in a grimdark setting in The Incorruptibles. The same count for the characters, it might be a lengthy introduction but it readily establishes a baseline for the remainder of the story. And that remainder is a rapid dash to the ending of the book, too bad it is over to soon. The Incorruptibles is a great opener to a new series, you will learn a lot, some questions are answered but a lot more raised. I am already a big fan of this series and am looking forward to see just in which direction John Hornor Jacobs will take his story next.

Read the full review here 

3. The Godless by Ben Peek, Tor

If you read all the parts above I do think you will understand that I enjoyed reading The Godless a lot. It was one of my titles to look out for this year and Ben Peek made it worth the wait. From the beginning of the book right until the end I was glued to the pages. When using a existing theme, it's up to the author to give his or her own spin to it and this is exactly what Ben Peek does to Gods in The Godless. The world in which the story takes place is engaging, exciting and never stops to move; the characters Ayae, Zaifyr and Beuralan have a great narration to readily pull the story forward. The story of The Godless is in essence a coming-of-age and coming-to-terms-with-yourself kind of story and looking at the overall development of the story Ben Peek does a great job with this. Don't think that it is only talk in The Godless there are enough fighting and battle scenes both sword and sword fighting and with a more supernatural element thrown in the mix.  I am going to repeat myself again. The Godless is a DEBUT not to be missed. In the interview I did with Ben Peek I asked him what to expect in the sequel, he said: Innocence... if you have read The Godless you will know what he means. I can't wait to see just to what heights Ben Peek will take his sequel. High hopes! Next year can't come soon enough! 

Read the full review here  

4. The Bullet-Catchers Daughter by Rod Duncan, Angry Robot Books

The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter is off to a solid start. Rod Duncan has created a wonderful setting in The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter taking in account the big as well as the small things that are needed to make a world go round. He has struck a perfect balance between both highlighting the characters, from our main protagonist Elizabeth Barnabus down to the secondary characters, and the world itself, using bits and pieces of exisiting history spinning it in his own way by adding enough fantasy influences to make it one-of-a-kind. Angry Robot recently has released another book, The Buried Life, that left me with the same feeling. One where you would give everything to delve into the sequel! It is with these kind of books that make sure the fantasy genre is kept fresh. If you are looking for something new and refreshing make sure you read The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter, it's is everything you want and much more! 

Read the full review here

5. The Wurms of Blearmouth by Steven Erikson, Tor

It is hard to say what The Wurms of Blearmouth actually is. If you compare it to the epic ten volume Malazan Empire of the Fallen, it is very different. The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are definitely dark, added to it they have a high dose of humor in it. So for me it would fall more or less in the "grimfunny" category. I read the previous books in the series but have to say that The Wurms of Blearmouth is the best so far. Steven Erikson again does a terrific job with showing one of the most memorable duo's from his series in a brilliant light. He will make you look away with some of the gritty and gruesome bits he writes, but will put a grin on your face on many other a occasion. The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach is good stuff for a quick and easy read, they are not as demanding as his others, but be warned they will wet your appetite for more Malazan goodness! Wurms of the Blearmouth is a must read.

Read the full review here
 
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