Marc Aplin's Blog, page 218
July 30, 2014
The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan
The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter is a detective story with a difference, the biggest being that the detective himself, one Mr Barnabus, is not all he seems. So much so, that his real name is Elizabeth; she masquerades as her own brother, enabling her to get into places where a woman normally couldn’t, while still being able […]
Win Robin Hobb & George R.R. Martin Tickets
As you have no doubt heard by now, George R.R. Martin and Robin Hobb are soon to be visiting London. This world exclusive event will offer readers the opportunity to spend an evening listening to two of the world’s greatest storytellers, discussing how they build their fictional universes, create their characters and balance fantasy and […]
All 7 Harry Potter ‘Children’s Edition’ Covers Released
Regular readers of Fantasy-Faction will be fully aware that Bloomsbury plan to re-release new editions of Harry Potter later this year. Essentially, the publisher are putting together what they call ‘Children’s Editions’ of the books that are editions that adults and older siblings can give to a new generation of readers. The slogan for this […]
Epic Fantasy Dream Team do a panel together
When I was younger I’d spend hours talking with friends about football, usually we’d discuss which players should form a team together and take on the world: Fantasy Football, I think it’s a thing now. I wanted David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Freddie Ljungberg and Frank Lampard all playing together in my midfield (sorry, I do […]
July 29, 2014
The State of Fantasy: Videogame News from the Scrying-Glass of E3
Fantasy has always been a salient feature in the videogame landscape, right down to the essential footprint of guiding an idealised persona through an imagined world. The hallmarks of fantasy – high fantasy especially – have become a reliable foundation for a great many titles over the years, and there are no signs of it […]
July 28, 2014
Titus Groan: A Clash of Generations
I suppose this novel, the first of what was intended to be a lengthy series unfortunately cut short by Mervyn Peake’s passing, can be hailed as a rarity. It is, in short, a fantasy that pre-dates The Lord of the Rings. In a genre where each new volume pretty much owes at least one iota of […]
‘Lords of the Fallen’ looks pretty awesome
We at Fantasy-Faction are pretty big fans of Dark Souls, despite having gone through about six controllers playing it (they keep accidentally hitting the wall). So, when we heard that the developers were working on a new game that looked to include more traditional fantasy elements into it (such as a relatively deep story and […]
Peter V. Brett’s ‘Messenger’s Legacy’ Announced!
We here at Fantasy-Faction are huge fans of Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle books. Now at number three in the series, with book four due next year, what we’ve come to appreciate – in addition to the excellent way the plot is moving forwards – is Peter V. Brett’s almost unmatched ability for writing a story […]
July 27, 2014
Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick
This review contains spoilers for Among Thieves. Read with caution if you have yet to finish the first book. It’s no surprise that Douglas Hulick’s Sworn in Steel, the second Tale of the Kin book, found a home on so many lists as one of the most anticipated books of 2014 (including #9 here at […]
Game of Thrones Season 4 Bloopers!
We all know that HBO’s Game of Thrones stars have a good sense of humour, because they’ve often appeared on lighthearted talk shows. However, HBO themselves have always maintained the seriousness and darkness of the show in their marketing. That is, until now! At this weekend’s Comic-Con in San Diego, HBO put together a Game […]
