Assaph Mehr's Blog, page 31

Nenn (of River of Thieves, by Clayton Snyder)

Dear readers, tonight with us a thief, a knife-fighter who robs from the rich and gives (some of it, at least) to the poor. She is here to tell us about the biggest heist — to steal the heart of a saint and punish a tyrant — and about her partner who keeps dying.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

The Veldt? The river dominates it. Men with money and religion on their side keeping the ones without down. And the rest of us, we do what we can. Cord n...

Book Series Review: Marcus Corvinus, by David Wishart

I’ve read and reviews Ovid, the first in the series, about a year ago. It was awesome, so naturally I went down the rabbit hole of reading through the 20-volume series… I’ve even chased down Corvinus himself for a character interview.

I’ve posted my reviews of each individual volume on Amazon and Goodreads, but below is a summary review of the whole series.

What to Expect

The series has two distinct thread — political novels and “plain” mysteries. Th...

Ahmed Justinius (of Sins of the Fathers trilogy, by Matthew P. Gilbert)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a man from a Middle-Eastern inspired fantasy world. He has been drafted by his god and his prophet to a war against ancient sorcerers, in a battle at the end of day.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

It’s hot, and there is a great deal of sand. And scorpions. A wise man always checks his shoes. I received regular beatings from my master, Yazid, for ignoring my studies or being insolent. About half of them, I counted as unfair....

Book Review: Cabaret of Monsters, by Tansy Rayner Roberts

Caberet of Monsters presents a marvelous twist of Urban Fantasy. Though I was originally drawn by the Roman elements, the vibe of Parisian theatre and roaring 1920’s as a backdrop to urban fantasy was refreshingly original

What to expect

A novella set in the same world as the Creature Court trilogy, published a few years ago by Roberts. The story alternates between two viewpoints, those of Livilla and Evie, both outsiders to the theatre scene and making their way in.

Right from the sta...

Em 19 (of Guardian Blood, by Nicholas Hoy)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a smuggler from a world where magic and technology interact freely. She is here to tell us about living in the shadows of the underworld, about high-rise conspiracies, and about the times humans still ruled the world.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Crescent City’s been called paradise on Earth, as you well know, with Mage-grown skyscrapers that climb for miles, all connected by breathtaking, nature-encrusted skywalks. But t...

Giulia Degarno (of Up To The Throne, by Toby Frost)

Dear readers, tonight with us is an ex-criminal on a mission of revenge. She is here to tell us about a world of magically-enhanced Renaissance: a dangerous world of assassins, alchemists and flying machines, a world where artists and scholars cross paths with feuding nobles and clockwork monsters – and death is never far away.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in a city-state called Pagalia, in the north of the Astalian Peninsula. Pagalia i...

Book Review: Rivers of London (aka in the US as ‘Midnight Riot’), by Ben Aaronovitch

Rivers of London was recommended to me by a bookstore owner (one who carries my novels too, and was trying to find similar target audiences). Considering my love of urban-fantasy detective, especially with an historical bent, I dived right in.

What to expect

Expect an interesting twist on Urban Fantasy, when an unsuspecting British constable is suddenly exposed to a world of ghosts and spirits. PC Peter Grant is a likeable fellow, a constable at the beginning of his police career. Doing the...

Alexander Edward Rathadon (of The Being Of Dreams, by Catherine M Walker)

Dear readers, tonight with me is the Fourth for the Royal Archives. As the fourth son of the king he was expecting a life of parties, but his ability to manipulate magic puts him in the path of dark powers and legends.

Fourth, thank you for seeing me….. um, I guess we should get started… um, well, what was it like growing up as a prince? What was it like growing up and living in the Royal Palaces?

No need to thank me scholar. You know I’m only putting up with this because my brother ordered...

All in a Name: Romans, Russians, and Fantasy

A character’s name will be the trait most often referred to in a book, so today I’d like to talk about historical and fantastical names, as well as literary usage.

We’d start with a quick review of some interesting naming conventions from history (Romans, duh, but also others), then touch on fantasy and science fiction literature and hopefully spark a discussion that might prove useful to both history aficionados and authors.

Roman Naming Conventions

As anyone with even a...

Talon (of the Catalyst Moon series, by Lauren L. Garcia)

Dear readers, tonight we eavesdrop on an antagonist interview, held in a tavern in a world where magic is real and mages battle priests.

[A tall, solidly-built woman strides into the tavern and approaches your table. Chips of a dark gray stone, hematite, embedded in her leather armor, glint in the lamplight, and her gaze sweeps across the seated man from head to toe. Her brown eyes narrow, but only a fraction, and she lifts her chin, her annoyed expression smoothing into one of forced polit...