Marc Aplin's Blog, page 173
July 13, 2015
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
My first novel by this author did not readily impress me at the beginning. A child-operated book-smuggling outfit run by a greedy, cold-hearted family—not all that unique of a plot device. Then, we find out it’s because physical books are a rarity, not found in the open, because The Great Library of Alexandria doles out […]
The Dragon Engine Cover Reveal
If you’re a fantasy fan then you undoubtedly like dragons. Whether they are friendly and wise or unspoken and fierce, having a dragon feature in a fantasy novel will almost always improve it (I don’t have a link to the scientific research confirming this, but it is out there. I am sure). Oh, and you know what can […]
July 11, 2015
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
We open on an oddly dressed girl walking down a road and refusing a ride from a stranger because she does not want to have to kill them, reasoning that it’s already been a busy day, what with her already doing away with a nosy Detective. It’s a jarring opening that immediately takes the readers […]
July 10, 2015
Magic In Fantasy – Part Three: Ancient Magic
This is the third article in our Magic In Fantasy series. If you missed part one or two you can read them here: Part One: Introduction Part Two: Real Magic Divine magic—magic wielded by godly and divine beings—might not be a mainstay of fantasy fiction anymore, but it originates at the very roots of fantasy […]
July 9, 2015
Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal
Of Noble Family is the fifth and final book in the Glamourist Histories series by Mary Robinette Kowal, set in an alternate version of the Regency period with magic in the form of glamour. Readers have shared Jane and Vincent’s lives through various trials and adventures, in a series that explores many different types of […]
July 7, 2015
Wesley Chu Interview
Wesley Chu, author of the popular Tao series (The Lives of Tao, The Deaths of Tao, and The Rebirths of Tao), has just released his newest sci-fi offering: Time Salvager. On top of being highly anticipated, this time travel novel has already been optioned for a movie to be directed by Michael Bay! Yesterday he […]
Fantasy-Faction Anthology & Facebook Group
Just a quick post for you today about a few projects we are tying up / beginning. Fantasy-Faction Anthology on Amazon First, the Fantasy-Faction Anthology is available through Amazon… FINALLY. We’ve decided to keep the hardback copies exclusive to our site, and if you ordered one we’ve pretty much caught up with orders – the […]
July 6, 2015
The Heresy Within by Rob J. Hayes
A few months ago, I reviewed Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries and Rogues (you can find that review here), and noted that the anthology’s protagonists had a certain moral flexibility that fans of grimdark would certainly enjoy. The best you could say of this collection of miscreants was that a few were thieves. The rest […]
July 5, 2015
So What’s The Fuss About Scribbleton?
One of the things we all love about great fantasy novels is the worlds they create. Indeed, for many of us, great worldbuilding is one of the major factors in measuring how much we enjoy a fantasy novel. We love a world that we can get lost in, in which we can bury ourselves in […]
July 4, 2015
The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker
The Warrior Prophet is an immense book. Bakker has pushed through the teething issues of his debut and flowered into an incredible effort as the story of the Prince of Nothing pushes into the Holy War that the whole first novel was building towards. Though similar to Darkness in terms of themes and writing style, […]
