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James’s Year In Books

James’s 2020 Year in Books

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J.W. Webb

Goodreads Author

Born

in Bawtry, The United Kingdom

Website

https://www.jwwebbauthor.com

Twitter

@legendsofansu

Genre

Fantasy

Influences

JRR Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, Guy Kay, Jack Vance, CS Lewis, Poul And ...more

Member Since

September 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jwwebb

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Lost In The Woods
I was born near Doncaster England in the early sixties but later moved south to Sussex, where I lived for many years. One of my (several schools) was at Battle, a small town named after that historic conflict in 1066. You know the one, it culminated with poor Harold getting that arrow in his eye and those rude Normans invading our green and pleasant land. Growing up so close to that scene of ancient carnage awarded me a fascination for all things Dark Age. I'd fallen victim to a weird and random imagination, resulting in a love of epic stories and epic story telling. This affliction prompted me to delve deep into the worlds of Tolkien, Peake, Eddison and Moorcock. Also about this time I commenced drawing imaginary maps and

Lost In The Woods
I was born near Doncaster England in the early sixties but later moved south to Sussex, where I lived for many years. One of my (several schools) was at Battle, a small town named after that historic conflict in 1066. You know the one, it culminated with poor Harold getting that arrow in his eye and those rude Normans invading our green and pleasant land. Growing up so close to that scene of ancient carnage awarded me a fascination for all things Dark Age. I'd fallen victim to a weird and random imagination, resulting in a love of epic stories and epic story telling. This affliction prompted me to delve deep into the worlds of Tolkien, Peake, Eddison and Moorcock. Also about this time I commenced drawing imaginary maps and inventing stories about wonderfully nasty folk, doing wonderfully nasty things, whilst pent up in gloomy unpleasant places.

Then at 18 years daft, I found myself thrust deep into the Queen's Household Cavalry. How I arrived there I cannot quite recall. The result was a sharp dose of reality. But not a cure – the affliction ran deep. I left the regiment, and for a time wandered hazy through life hitting nails with hammers, sailing brigantines through southern waters, drinking venomous concoctions with venomous companions, and yes, reading lots more ghastly fantasy books. At 27 years I became to a degree sensible. I married my beloved Rae, a watercolour artist and passionate Celt, and got a sensible career hauling trucks around the British countryside. The trouble with hauling trucks around the British countryside is that it lets the mind ramble willy nilly, when not being tortured by local radio. The result of that rambling was more stories flittering around inside this errant trucker's dizzy head.

Then, during one dark winter night back in 1993, whilst parked forlorn outside a dreary inn, something profound happened. I stumbled into Corin an Fol: a moody, rather difficult individual, mooching about in a deep tangled wood (my imagination). That wood grew into a world (not as hard as it sounds when you write fantasy stuff). The world became Ansu, home to all manner of mismatched mortals and grumpy gods. Late 2001 a plot appeared through the murky trees. It found Corin lost and wandering and introduced him to some other unruly types, resulting in The Shattered Crown. This epic debut was scrawled out with biro ink on paper and still lurks somewhere close. I'm too scared to read it. But The Shattered Crown couldn't contain its characters. These were (and still are) a very rough lot. They demanded a sequel. Instead (just to show who the boss was,) I focussed on a prequel, Fall of Gol being the result. But still the characters would not leave me alone. And so started The Legends of Ansu a forthcoming series of otherworldly tales, mostly involving Corin and his friends.

In late 2012 Rae lost her battle with cancer. I had always promised her a Cornish ghost story based on one of her evocative paintings. And so was born a novella called The Haven. A spooky yarn blending mystery and suspense with past and present. I hope that she likes it. We both loved Cornwall where we lived for many years. During our time there I met with Roger Garland the Tolkien Illustrator, who kindly consented to creating some fabulous images and illustrations for my work. And also designing this superb website! During 2013 I left the world of big wheels behind and focussed instead on writing full time. I moved to Georgia, married my gorgeous former shipmate Joanne, who I've known for 30 years. Since then I have rewritten Fall of Gol shortening it's title to Gol and finally (with substantial assistance from my erudite and excellent editor, Catherine Romano) re-shaped The Shattered Crown into a rivetingly nasty read. Now after twenty-one years in the woods, I am more than ready to unleash these first two offerings in the Ansu series along with The Haven. The third legend: The Lost Prince will be available later ...more

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J.W. Webb’s books

Average rating: 4.16 · 818 ratings · 230 reviews · 18 distinct works • Similar authors

	Gray Wolf: A legends of Ansu fantasy by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author), Roger Garland (Illustrator), Susanne Lakin (Editor) 4.12 avg rating — 231 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gol (The Legends of Ansu, #1) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author), Roger Garland (Illustrator) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 277 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shattered Crown 4.19 avg rating — 62 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Legends of the Longsword: A Legends of Ansu (Mercenary #2) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author), Roger Garland (Illustrator) 4.26 avg rating — 38 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Glass Throne: A Legends of Ansu fantasy (Crystal Crown #3) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author), Roger Garland (Illustrator) 4.58 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2017 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lost Prince (The Legends of Ansu, #3) 4.33 avg rating — 27 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blood Feud (Berserker #1) 4.44 avg rating — 39 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wolves and Assassins: A Legends of Ansu fantasy (Mercenary Trilogy #3) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author), Roger Garland (Illustrator) 4.24 avg rating — 25 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Emerald Queen: A Legends of Ansu Fantasy by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author), Roger Garland (illustrator) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 22 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mercenary Trilogy: Gray Wolf / Legends of the Longsword / Wolves and Assassins by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author), Roger Garland (Illustrator) 4.28 avg rating — 18 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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J.W. Webb's Blog

The Long and Winding Road

An Author Interview By Hidden Gems

HG: How would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet?

JW: I’m a storyteller who learned to write. That took time – I drove big rigs for years. But as the decades rolled by the stories echoed louder in my head. I love the fantasy genre. The joyous release magical tales award the reader, helping them escape the norm – espe

Series by J.W. Webb

The Legends of Ansu (6 books)
by

J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author),

Roger Garland (Illustrator),

Susanne Lakin (Editor)

4.10 avg rating — 652 ratings

Berserker (3 books)
by

J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author)

4.50 avg rating — 50 ratings

James is Currently Reading

James Webb is currently reading

The Berserker Trilogy: The Complete 3-Book Epic Fantasy Boxed Set (Box Set Editions 1)

by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author)

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Jun 28, 2021 06:43PM

James Webb is currently reading

Wide for the Win: Strategies to Sell Globally via Multiple Platforms and Forge Your Own Path to Success

by Mark Leslie Lefebvre (Goodreads Author)

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Jun 01, 2021 01:25PM

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James’s Recent Updates

James Webb is now friends with Andrew Lowe
Jul 19, 2021 02:39AM · like
James Webb is currently reading The Berserker Trilogy: The Complete 3-Book Epic Fantasy Boxed Set (Box Set Editions 1) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2021 06:43PM · 1 like · like
James Webb finished reading Shadow of the White Bear (Berserker, #3) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 07, 2021 10:13AM · 1 like · like
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Jun 04, 2021 06:37PM · 5 likes · like
James Webb liked Christina Morley's review of Gray Wolf: A legends of Ansu fantasy: "Corin an Fol is an imperfect hero, doing what he can to survive in a harsh world. The gods follow his steps, but his path is dark and the road difficult. With many enemies and fewer friends, Corin must grow up and become the man needed to carve out h" Read more of this review »
Apr 05, 2021 07:56PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Gray Wolf by J.W. Webb. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Gray Wolf by J.W. Webb <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Webb finished reading The Giants' Dance (Berserker #2) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 05, 2021 07:53PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Giants' Dance by J.W. Webb. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Giants' Dance by J.W. Webb <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Webb liked Margaret's review of Wolves and Assassins: A Legends of Ansu fantasy (Mercenary Trilogy #3): "Ah, the end of another great Ansu trilogy! After reading all three of these, I think this might be the best of Webb’s trilogies so far. Definitely a different world than ours right now, and I found the audiobook a great, immersive companion on long w" Read more of this review »
Dec 18, 2020 08:26PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wolves and Assassins by J.W. Webb. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wolves and Assassins by J.W. Webb <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Dec 17, 2020 09:02AM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Giants' Dance by J.W. Webb. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Giants' Dance by J.W. Webb <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Webb finished reading Legends of the Longsword: A Legends of Ansu (Mercenary #2) by J.W. Webb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 01, 2020 09:13AM · 3 likes · like
James Webb joined the group Audiobooks
Nov 25, 2020 10:03AM · like

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Quotes by J.W. Webb

“You can never have enough sharp things in this world”
― J.W. Webb

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James’s Quotes

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
― Albert Einstein

tags: attributed-no-source, human-nature, humor, infinity, philosophy, science, stupidity, universe

137383 likes

“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

tags: character, sirius-black

98382 likes

“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”
― Mark Twain

tags: lies, lying, memory, truth

86601 likes

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”
― Oscar Wilde

tags: attributed-no-source, enemies, forgiveness, strategy

77582 likes

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

tags: frost, glitter, gold, lost, poetry, roots, strength, strong, wander, wither

54457 likes

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