Marc Aplin's Blog, page 56

VoyagerCon – Event Review

First, let me confess to being an idiot. Those who know me, have met me, or avoided me (I’m sure it happens), were probably aware of that already. I always, always, plan my journey across the London Underground before I leave home. Otherwise, as happened here, I end up staring at a TFL map seeing […]

Numenera: Role Playing in the Ninth World

A billion years have passed, and civilisations have risen and fallen leaving evidence of their presence across the world. Wonders that no one can understand; obelisks that float in the sky, creatures that appear from shadows or walk through walls, machines that control the weather, or have uses yet to be discovered. Humans (mostly) are […]

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

“Tagline Intentionally Left Blank” One of my favorite parts of writing reviews is coming up with a snappy tagline that compares the book in question to iconic stories. The publisher has promoted Descendant of the Crane as a Chinese-inspired Game of Thrones, and while it does have an intricate plot and luscious world building, its […]

Todd Lockwood Interview – The Summer Dragon

I went to Dragon Con (a convention held in Atlanta, George) in the fall of 2016. Amid the hustle and bustle of the massive crowds, attending author panels and going to workshops we decided we needed a break. My sister-in-law’s husband wished to go see a friend in the Marriott, so we entered into an […]

Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett

Robert Jackson Bennett is one of the authors whose writing, I eagerly look forward to whenever something new is announced. I was a bit skeptical about this title though, as this is a dystopic science fiction novella, which is not a genre I associate Bennett with. But he once again proved admirably why he is […]

Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan

Originally written in Chinese and published in 2013, this edition of Waste Tide is translated by Ken Liu and published by Tor Books. It is also Chen Qiufan’s debut book. Set in a dystopian China of the future (post 2020s), Waste Tide is an excellent example of environmental science fiction and is inspired by the […]

The Bone Ships by RJ Barker

For generations, the Hundred Isles have built their ships from the bones of ancient dragons to fight an endless war. Then the dragons disappeared. But the battle for supremacy on the high seas persisted. When the first dragon in centuries is spotted in far-off waters, both sides see a chance to shift the balance of […]

A Ritual of Bone by Lee C. Conley

The land of Arnar is menaced by a vicious plague, a tribe of savage cannibals and a growing tide of the living dead summoned by a dark ritual. Warriors, hunters, nobles and ordinary folk will all have to become heroes if their home is to be saved from the cursed hordes. That’s A Ritual of […]

The Red Plains by G. R. Matthews

Spoiler Warning: This review contains minor spoilers for The Red Plains. “Listen, Jiin-Wei, Taiji, I do not ask you what you can do or tell you what you cannot. Do not presume you know the same about me. I have lived more years than you can imagine and seen more of the world than you […]

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence is an author whose name gets lost within his stories. This is because his stories are so poignant and so ubiquitous that one could easily forget the name of the author. If you are able to remember the titles of his books, then it is justified that you remember his name. The Book […]