Marc Aplin's Blog, page 190
February 7, 2015
The League of Princes by Christopher Healy – Series Review
Ever wondered what Prince Charming’s real name is? Meet Frederick. And Gustav. And Liam and Duncan. They are the Prince Charmings (or Princes Charming, as Frederick insists), and they’re determined to prove that they are more than just those princes from the songs. So when they stumble across a dark plot forming against all their […]
February 6, 2015
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
Kelly Link’s unique take on the fantastic twists through a whimsical maelstrom of inventiveness in her award-winning short story collection, Magic for Beginners. Strands of myth, sci-fi and fable mingle with characters that yearn, mock, steal and bicker through the nine stories that make up this collection – nine short(ish) stories that give the impression […]
February 5, 2015
Beloved Fantasy and Sci-Fi Movies of the 80s
Ah, the 80s. A decade of big hair, shoulder pads, and questionable movie soundtracks. I don’t know about you, but I have great memories of 80s fantasy—granted, some of those memories are the “I-love-it-and-love-to-make-fun-of-it” kind. Others are pure excellence that still holds up after all these years. Here are some of the throwback classics of […]
February 4, 2015
The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks
Wow. Now that is how you write a follow up. Brent Weeks, although not the greatest prose stylist ever, knows how to give his readership a great story, engrossing characters, powerful shocking twists, and possibly the greatest pacing known to the fantasy genre. He writes as a man who is fully invested in what he […]
February 3, 2015
The Getaway God by Richard Kadrey – Spoiler Free Review
The Getaway God, Richard Kadrey’s sixth novel in the Sandman Slim series, is a confounding—but ultimately entertaining—entry in the story of James Stark. Friends and enemies (both new and old) appear. Aqua Regia is imbibed. Maledictions are smoked. The world is saved. Gods live and die. Just another day at the office for everyone’s favorite […]
February 2, 2015
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
My hardback cover of The Queen of the Tearling is emblazoned with a bright red sticker telling me it’s: “SOON TO BE A MAJOR FILM starring Emma Watson”. On the inside, the blurb claims that the book is: “the debut of a born storyteller blessed with a startling imagination”. There’s much to live up to, […]
February 1, 2015
Cartomancy by Michael A. Stackpole
The second book in a trilogy is a difficult beast to contend with. It needs to answer enough questions and fulfil enough expectations from the first novel to keep the reader satisfied, but without tipping the scales of interest to make the third novel unnecessary. This is by no means an easy feat and must […]
The Lesson of the Selfie; or The Power of Point of View
I managed to frustrate my editor very early on in my nascent career. He wanted a photo for publicity purposes. I didn’t want to shell out the hundred bucks for a professional, so I kept taking selfies. “What about this one?” I’d ask. “If you ignore that ketchup on my cheek, I think it looks […]
January 30, 2015
Game of Thrones Season 5 trailer out now! But no ‘Winds of Winter’ in 2015…
Well, we knew it was coming – but no one could have guessed it’d be quite this early: the Game of Thrones Season 5 trailer has arrived!!! Savvy fans will quickly see that the long-expected departure from the books has begun. **SPOILERS FOR BOOK 4/5 follow** Without giving too much away it looks like the Aegon storyline won’t […]
January 29, 2015
Fantasy-Faction’s Best Fantasy Books of 2014
We fantasy readers were some of the luckiest people alive in 2014 because fantasy publishers around the world just kept on giving and giving. Previous years we’ve done a top 10 of our favourite books, then last year we were forced to produce a list of 25. Well, this year, we’ve stepped things up again. […]
