Marc Aplin's Blog, page 232

The Good, The Bad and The Infernal by Guy Adams

Once every hundred years, the town of Wormwood appears. It’s different every time, in both location and character, yet one thing remains constant; legend has it that Wormwood is home to the greatest of miracles, a doorway into Heaven itself. It’s due to arrive on the 21st September 1889, somewhere in the American Midwest, and […]

Dragon Age: The Masked Empire by Patrick Weekes

The first game series I ever really fell in love with was Dragon Age. The predecessors to this expansive series were also fantastic in their own right (Neverwinter Nights was especially great, if you ask me), but when I first began Dragon Age: Origins as a Dwarven Noble, I was immediately drawn into the story […]

The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas

It’s hard to believe that dragons once ruled the world. Now they are used by humans as mounts, hunting and war machines, precious gifts to settle diplomatic disputes and as bargaining chips. Dragons have a unique place in the world of The Adamantine Palace, but they are far from their usual formidable selves. Their breeding […]

‘A Game of Thrones’ without Dragons?

Imagine if the gift of A Song of Ice & Fire was never given to the fantasy genre. Yes, it was, but humour me for a minute… In my eyes, George R.R. Martin has to be thanked extensively for this contribution to the current state of fantasy. Think about it: would we be seeing the current stream of […]

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

This review contains spoilers for The Way of Kings. Read with caution if you have yet to finish the first book. It was a struggle to try and fit everything I wanted into this review. Even in two parts. There’s so much more I want to talk about, but, I am told, word limits exist […]

The Slow Regard of Silent Things – Cover & Synopsis

Patrick Rothfuss fans are split into two camps. One camp is the ‘I want Patrick Rothfuss to write as much material as possible about The Four Corners of Civilization and beyond’ camp, whereas the other is the ‘Seriously, hurry up and finish the damned book already’ camp. Personally, I often find myself in the ‘hurry up’ […]

Shadowborn by Moira Katson

I was an ice child, having the ill luck to be born early, in the deepest storms of the winter, when the drifts of snow can bury whole caravans without a trace, and the winds will cut a man open with slivers of ice. I’m a sucker for great first sentences, and Shadowborn by Moira […]

The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker

Amaranthe Lokdon is one of the Turgonian Empire’s enforcers. She keeps the streets safe (much like a policewoman) and is known for being fastidious. She chews her fingernails when she’s anxious and keeps her hair pinned in a tight, efficient bun. Her approach to sexism in the workplace is to prove herself through hard work. […]

Magic In Fantasy: Alternative Magic Systems

This is the forth article in our series on Magic in Fantasy. To read the earlier articles click the links below. Part One: Introduction Part Two: Real Magic Part Three: Ancient Magic Finally we’ve come to the most exciting stop on our magic safari. Real magic and ancient systems of magic are exciting enough, yet […]

What Makes This Book So Great? by Jo Walton

I want to begin my review of What Makes This Book So Great? where Jo Walton ends the book: comparing literary criticism and talking about books. Walton doesn’t like being called a critic. She didn’t study criticism, she doesn’t read with a critic’s detached and impersonal eye, and she doesn’t want to join the more objective […]