Marc Aplin's Blog, page 146

Danielle L. Jensen Interview

Today we are lucky enough to have Danielle L. Jensen, author of The Malediction Trilogy with us to answer some questions about the series, which will be wrapping up in May with the final book, Warrior Witch. So who is Danielle L. Jensen—and what is she all about? What’s she likely to be found doing […]

Bloodfeud by Ben Galley

Just like its protagonist, Ben Galley’s Scarlet Star Trilogy is a series constantly on the move, constantly growing and changing from a coming-of-age fantasy/western hybrid to an adventure set in an alternate London. With the final book in the trilogy, Bloodfeud, Galley wraps up a consistently strong self-published series that introduced readers to likeable characters, […]

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

“The body you are wearing used to be mine.” So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down […]

Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch

I’ve done a post on sequels before, and on the difficulty of making them both true to the original book while still building on the world and the characters. I think, in every review I write of a book that isn’t either standalone or the first in a series, I’ll be tempted to revisit that […]

‘I actually started worldbuilding…’ by Sam Sykes

Today we are delighted to welcome one of our favourite authors Sam Sykes (also known as Samus Sykesimus on the Roman Gladiator circuit) to Fantasy-Faction. I don’t really need to tell you too much more about the author and his works, because he’s about to do it for me… enjoy! So, I don’t know if anyone […]

Gateway to Fantasy: The Legend of Zelda

I was eight years old on August 22, 1987—the day The Legend of Zelda was released in the United States. A month later I turned nine and received a copy of my own and in an instant a world of matte grey was transformed. Remember when Dorothy finally gets to Oz? The sudden switch color, […]

The Passage Readalong: Chapters 1-5

Hello everyone, Ah… What a week! If this is your first time reading The Passage, then I hope you are enjoying the ride. I think these early chapters may have surprised you a little, right? What you have probably noticed is that this is a book as much about characters and humanity as it is […]

King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember – Video Game Review

King’s Quest is an episodic adventure game, heavy on story, featuring puzzles and challenges along the way. It’s a reimagining from developer The Odd Gentlemen (published under Sierra) of the original King’s Quest series created by Roberta Williams in the 80s. While most of the game’s content is designed to fit into the gaps and […]

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

“People so often try and make themselves look good when they lie. That, however, should never be the point. The point should be to distract from the truth. Whether you look good or not is irrelevant. All that matters is that you sound believable.” In 13 Minutes, Sarah Pinborough relocates the Whodunnit thriller to the […]

The Endless Journey

I recently began reading The Complete Chronicles of Conan Centenary Edition by Robert E. Howard, this weighty tome may well require the strength of a barbarian to lift it, such is the mass of stories it contains. The pages are filled with dozens of Conan’s adventures, plundering treasure from the towers of evil magicians, slaying […]