Genre: Fantasy

Review – The Iron Children

Posted February 11, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Iron Children

The Iron Children

by Rebecca Fraimow

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Pages: 159
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Asher has been training her entire life to become a Sor-Commander. One day she’ll give her soul to the gilded, mechanical body and fully ascend. She’ll be a master of the Celesti faith, and the commander to a whole battalion of Dedicates. These soldiers, human bodies encased in exoskeletons, with extra arms, and telepathic subordination to the Sor-Commanders, are the only thing that’s kept the much larger Levastani army of conquest at bay for decades.

But while on a training journey, Asher and her party are attacked, and her commander is incapacitated, leaving her alone to lead the unit across a bitterly cold, unstable mountain.

It should be fine. She has the terrain memorised, and Sergeant Barghest is exceptional at their job. But one of the Dedicates is not what they seem: a spy for the enemy, with their own reasons to hate their mechanical body and the people who put them in it.

To get off the mountain alive, Asher and her unit will need to decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice—and what for.

Rebecca Fraimow’s The Iron Children packs a lot into quite a small space. The basics are easy: there are two nations at war, and one of the tools used by one side against the other is the ability to turn people (Dedicates) into mechs, who are deployed under a fully mechanical commander who can take control of their bodies when needed (or wanted).

We get just a glimpse of how things are supposed to work, before things go south and Asher — a young training officer, still human for now — has to take charge of the situation. It’s all pretty claustrophobic as we follow the unit through an avalanche and into a cave system, and we know that one member of the group is a traitor. It’s not immediately obvious who, because their sections are written in first person. The switching between first and third is a little odd sometimes, but it makes sense for telling this particular story.

There’s a heck of a lot of potential to the world, but mostly the story stays focused on this particular group and the frictions between them, which helps it feel very immediate and urgent. Like I said, claustrophobic, as well.

The ending feels slightly unsatisfactory; it’s not clear to me exactly what Asher intends to do, or how she and Barghest are going to conceal the fallout of what happened — if they are. Won’t people work it out quickly? I don’t always need my stories wrapped up in a tidy bow, but I could’ve used a little more here at the end. Otherwise, though, I found this one pretty compelling.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Encyclopaedia Eorzea Volume III

Posted February 6, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Encyclopaedia Eorzea Volume III

Encyclopaedia Eorzea volume III

by Square Enix

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 304
Rating: five-stars
Synopsis:

The third volume of the official Final Fantasy XIV lore books, written and compiled by the Final Fantasy XIV development team! This deluxe hardcover tome comprises records of adventures that transcend the bounds of space and time, from the ancient world to the very stars above.

Offering an astonishing amount of information covering the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions, this third volume of Encyclopaedia Eorzea brings readers further into the realms of the global hit video game. Hundreds of richly illustrated, full-color pages present detailed explorations of the events that occurred in Etheirys, Norvrandt, and the sea of stars, as well as comprehensive descriptions of their histories, peoples, lands, and more.

An unending source of knowledge and inspiration to all those who seek truths across and beyond our star.

As ever, Encyclopaedia Eorzea‘s third volume is a wonderful expansion/repository of the lore for Final Fantasy XIV’s increasingly complex world. This volume covers the places and peoples of the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions, giving us titbits of insight into the history of the First (the world we occupy during the Shadowbringers expansion), and the life of the Ancients (which impacts most heavily on the Endwalker expansion)… along with the lives of other tribes and peoples we meet along the way, like the Lopporits.

If you’re a casual player, you might not be interested in reading cover-to-cover, but it can be useful for a quick recap of the plot or of characters. Even being a relatively non-casual player, some of that stuff was helpful to me because I’ve forgotten some of the incidental characters.

If you’re a fan of the Ancients, there’s some fascinating stuff here about them. For example, Venat’s sword — and the fact that while Hythlodaeus may call himself a middling mage, he’s in fact very adept with aether. It provides a bit of additional insight on the characters, for sure, including the beloved ambystoma (listed ahead of Hermes, in fact).

The book comes with an insert giving you a code for the Wind-up Forchenault minion for your FFXIV account, which I have redeemed promptly!

Rating: 5/5

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Review – The Fireborne Blade

Posted February 4, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 1 Comment

Review – The Fireborne Blade

The Fireborne Blade

by Charlotte Bond

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 192
Series: The Fireborne Blade #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Kill the dragon. Find the blade. Reclaim your honor. It’s that, or end up like countless knights before her, as a puddle of gore and molten armor.

Maddileh is a knight. There aren’t many women in her line of work, and it often feels like the sneering and contempt from her peers is harder to stomach than the actual dragon slaying. But she’s a knight, and made of sterner stuff.

A minor infraction forces her to redeem her honor in the most dramatic way possible, she must retrieve the fabled Fireborne Blade from its keeper, legendary dragon the White Lady, or die trying. If history tells us anything, it's that “die trying” is where to wager your coin.

Maddileh’s tale contains a rich history of dragons, ill-fated knights, scheming squires, and sapphic love, with deceptions and double-crosses that will keep you guessing right up to its dramatic conclusion. Ultimately, The Fireborne Blade is about the roles we refuse to accept, and of the place we make for ourselves in the world.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Charlotte Bond’s The Fireborne Blade was obviously meant for me the second I saw that cover — or perhaps even more meant for my sister, let’s be honest. It has an interesting structure of jumping back and forth in time, and it becomes obvious why at the end (it’s not just the author not knowing where to start the story!).

It seems like a straightforward quest story, with an object at the end, and what we get is something a bit more tricksy. I was also expecting to feel much less ambivalent about how the book ends, but the book dodges being too obvious and straightforward about that, and gives us something unsettling and morally ambiguous. At least, I found it so — vengeance probably shouldn’t seem the clean and simple thing it is in some novels, so this isn’t a criticism at all!

I have so many questions about the world, and loved the little glimpses of other knights, other dragons, and all the customs around them. It’s a story that’s pretty complete in itself, but left me curious about what more would look like.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, vol 2

Posted February 2, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, vol 2

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, vol 2

by Mò Xiāng Tóng XiÚ

Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 351
Series: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

[CHARACTER DEPTH LEVEL +10]

Three years have passed since Shen Qingqiu betrayed Luo Binghe, and now there are only two years left before his “deceased” disciple rises from the dead to claim his bloody glory as the protagonist. At least, that’s how the story is supposed to go.

In the midst of investigating a mysterious plague, Shen Qingqiu discovers that his actions have irreparably altered the plot—Luo Binghe has returned all too soon and Shen Qingqiu’s brilliant escape plan isn’t even ready yet! Worse, Shen Qingqiu can no longer predict his young disciple’s actions.

The only thing that hasn’t changed is Luo Binghe’s intense fixation on Shen Qingqiu himself, but even this obsession may be more than it seems. Not that Shen Qingqiu has the time to puzzle through all the inconsistencies. There are various parties at play in the changing plot, and if he doesn’t act fast, he may face a fate far worse than death.

The second volume of MXTX’s The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System is as gorgeous an object as the first, with black and white illustrations, helpful back matter, etc. The tone and style set in the first book continue, unsurprisingly, with SQQ being completely clueless — though LBH is a bit more opaque. The conflict does centre on a miscommunication (or, let’s be honest, a complete failure to communicate), but one that’s kind of unavoidable given the givens.

Still, if only people would just talk instead of making assumptions…

All in all, it’s a lot of fun, totally over the top, and I felt like I had to bump up my rating from the previous book. It’s still not 100% my thing in every possible way, but I had enough fun that that doesn’t matter. I’m curious how it’s going to wrap up in the next volume.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – In the Shadow of the Fall

Posted January 27, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – In the Shadow of the Fall

In the Shadow of the Fall

by Tobi Ogundiran

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 160
Series: Guardians of the Gods #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Ashâke is an acolyte in the temple of Ifa, yearning for the day she is made a priest and sent out into the world to serve the orisha. But of all the acolytes, she is the only one the orisha refuse to speak to. For years she has watched from the sidelines as peer after peer passes her by and ascends to full priesthood.

Desperate, Ashâke attempts to summon and trap an orisha—any orisha. Instead, she experiences a vision so terrible it draws the attention of a powerful enemy sect and thrusts Ashâke into the center of a centuries-old war that will shatter the very foundations of her world.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Ashâke wants to be a priestess, but the orisha don’t speak to her. Desperate to understand why, she attempts to summon and bind them, and thus gets tugged into a whole world of trouble. It takes a while for the story to show you exactly why, though: a little bit gets revealed, then you spend a bit of time with Ashâke exploring the world and getting a little more context, and then a little more of the story comes out.

There are some really fascinating details — I loved the scenes with the griots, in particular — but the story turns out to be on quite a big scale. Zoomed out, whole-plane-of-existence stuff, rather than one temple among many, or one unremarkable girl. I wonder almost if it might’ve worked better as a single novel, rather than two novellas: where we’re at by the end of the book obviously isn’t the end, and it’s a little unsatisfying because of it.

It did also feel very familiar, and I’m trying to remember in what way. The beats of the story really reminded me of something: I think it might be Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights, actually, where Lyra ends up with the Gyptians for a time… Not that the two books are the same or anything, but I did get this uncanny sense of familiarity that I’ve been trying to pin down.

In any case, it has whet my appetite for more: I’m very curious what comes next, how Ashâke has changed as a result of the revelations, and what the world will look like when the events of the story are done.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – A Queer Trade

Posted January 24, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – A Queer Trade

A Queer Trade

by KJ Charles

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Pages: 53
Series: Rag & Bone #0.5
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Apprentice magician Crispin Tredarloe returns to London to find his master dead, and his papers sold. Papers with secrets that could spell death. Crispin needs to get them back before anyone finds out what he's been doing, or what his magic can do.

Crispin tracks his quarry down to waste paper dealer Ned Hall. He needs help, and Ned can’t resist Crispin’s pleading—and appealing—looks. But can the waste-man and the magician prevent a disaster and save Crispin’s skin?

A Queer Trade is a fun introduction to two characters who star in one of the few KJ Charles books I’ve yet to read, Rag & Bone. It gives a bit of context to how they met and what they’re like, which feels like a solid way to start off if you’re interested in reading Rag & Bone. It doesn’t give a lot of detail about the judiciary who operate throughout the Charm of Magpies world, so it doesn’t stand on its own very well without having read those, I’d say.

The romance is cute and hopeful, without going too far — it’s not straight to love, but straight to solid attraction, and a connection formed through weird, alarming circumstances that the two of them managed to figure out together.

It’s a quick read; I’m not in a huge hurry to read Rag & Bone, but I’m more tempted to pick it up now than I was before: I love the original trilogy in this world, but I’m not a huge fan of Jackdaw.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – The Brides of High Hill

Posted January 21, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Brides of High Hill

The Brides of High Hill

by Nghi Vo

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 128
Series: The Singing Hills Cycle #5
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Nghi Vo's Hugo Award-winning Singing Hills Cycle returns with a standalone gothic mystery that unfolds in the empire of Ahn.

The Cleric Chih accompanies a beautiful young bride to her wedding to the aging ruler of a crumbling estate situated at the crossroads of dead empires. The bride's party is welcomed with elaborate courtesies and extravagant banquets, but between the frightened servants and the cryptic warnings of the lord's mad son, they quickly realize that something is haunting the shadowed halls.

As Chih and the bride-to-be explore empty rooms and desolate courtyards, they are drawn into the mystery of what became of Lord Guo's previous wives and the dark history of Do Cao itself. But as the wedding night draws to its close, Chih will learn at their peril that not all monsters are to be found in the shadows; some monsters hide in plain sight.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Nghi Vo’s latest Singing Hills novella starts off by setting you up with some expectations, right from the blurb, and skillfully leans on that to guide you through the novella to the crisis point. It feels darker to me than the previous novellas in this series, with a real sense of unease throughout — not that the others have no sense of looming consequences, but I was more frightened for Cleric Chih than I usually would be. Chih has been drawn into something they may not be able to get out of, where they’re not so much an observer anymore, or just interested in how things turn out, but a part of the tale and critically affected by whatever will happen. Which is not the first time, I suppose, but this just felt more immediate.

I think Vo does an amazing job at teasing things out, with some little hints along the way to help you catch on so that once it all becomes clear, it’s really clear. It’s difficult to say much about this story without spoiling that journey, so I won’t say any more on that.

I did find that once certain things started happening, it all unravelled really quickly and I almost stumbled. I guess that’d be my only critique, but the story caught me when I stumbled and rearranged the world so everything made sense, so maybe that moment is really just part of the experience.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Cold Iron

Posted January 18, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review – Cold Iron

Cold Iron

by Triona Farrell, Tom Muller, Andy Diggle, Nick Brokenshire

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels
Pages: 140
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

On the rural Isle of Man, aspiring singer-songwriter Kay Farragher dreams of escaping her humdrum life. But she’s about to get more than she bargained for – and some bargains are not to be trusted.

Celtic folklore and modern moxie collide as an ancient pact between worlds is broken. The sinister forces of Faerie have slipped their shackles, and the Black Dog walks abroad this night…

Andy Diggle et al’s Cold Iron is pretty fun: it’s set on the Isle of Man, and draws from fairytales and folktales. It’s perhaps not too surprising that it sees creatures from Faerie intruding upon our world, and that a trip to Faerie is eventually indicated, but it’s a fun ride nonetheless.

I liked the art, and I liked Kay, her practical approach to realising that actually, her grandmother was right after all — and her fierceness in fighting for those she cares about, and those she feels a responsibility to.

It wasn’t too surprising in terms of where the plot went, given the givens, but I had fun, and I also quite appreciated that it included a short story (in prose rather than the same comic format) at the end with a little bit more closure.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – The House of Drought

Posted January 17, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – The House of Drought

House of Drought

by Dennis Mombauer

Genres: Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 117
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

On the island of Sri Lanka, at a colonial mansion between the forest and the paddy fields, a caretaker arrives with four children in tow after pledging to keep them safe. When violent thugs storm the house demanding that Ushu repay his debt, young Jasmit and the other children hide in an upstairs bathroom where a running tap opens a gateway to escape. But the Dry House is not the only force at work in the place where the forest and the estate meet—something else stirs in the trees, something ancient, something that demands retribution.

The Sap Mother bides her time, watching and learning from the house’s inhabitants. She burrows beneath the foundations of the Dry House, hungry for atonement. Pulled between these warring powers, Jasmit must choose between saving those trapped in the mansion’s bulging stomachs and preparing the house for when the Mother emerges again.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This horror novella didn’t entirely work for me, though I appreciated a number of things about it (the setting, the tension, the fact that it didn’t give the reader too many answers too quickly). The structure kind of annoyed me, with the order of events jerking around. It’s hard to describe, but first you get the frame story, the “present day” if you will. Then you jump back in time to the crisis point of other characters’ story… then forward just a little to how those characters got into that situation. Then forward back to the present day, and then a new set of characters.

It feels like the story tried very hard to come full circle, bring things together and find a way to end the story — but it felt like it missed a step. How did a certain character figure things out? Why is she so eager to save people she doesn’t know?

It’s an interesting novella but I didn’t find it wholly successful.

Rating: 2/5

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Review – Encyclopaedia Eorzea Volume II

Posted January 16, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Encyclopaedia Eorzea Volume II

Encyclopaedia Eorzea volume II

by Square Enix

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 303
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Dedicated to those for whom the pursuit of knowledge is a never-ending journey.

In the mere two years since the release of our first official lore book, the world of FINAL FANTASY XIV has grown to encompass not only the untraversed corners of Eorzea, but the far-reaching lands of an entire new continent to the east. With new horizons come new discoveries, and so it is with great pleasure that we bring you the second volume of Square Enix’s best-selling Encyclopædia Eorzea, containing 300 pages of newly compiled information on the realms we proudly call our second home.

The Encyclopaedia Eorzea books are amazing companions to the game, showing off some of the depth of the background lore, sneaking in some images showing how the designs were developed, showing off the weapons from a given expansion, etc.

Volume II covers up to the end of Stormblood, the third expansion, and includes a plot summary for all of those events — which was pretty handy when I realised I had no idea what had become of a particular character amongst all of that. There are recaps on specific characters linked to various regions, background on the history of the regions, details on the tribes (such as the Namazu), etc. Pretty good resource if you’re really into the lore of the game!

As ever with this kind of thing, it’s probably not of much interest if you don’t play the game, though if you’re curious about it, then you might take a peek to get an idea of the depth of lore and world-building out there to explore.

It also comes with an item code, providing you with a chance to own Matoya’s Hat for your character to wear. NB: it isn’t dyeable; it can be kept in your armoire and doesn’t need to go into your glamour chest. Yes, my code’s been claimed.

Rating: 4/5

 

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