Marc Aplin's Blog, page 68

Spellbound by Debbie Viguié and Nancy Holder

Somehow, I forgot that it got weirder, but I really should have expected that. To recap: I have been going on a reread of the Wicked series by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié. I first read the books when I was a young teen and for various reasons (too many other books, not enough time, […]

Neuromancer by William Gibson

As debut novels go, this one kicks arse. Written in 1984, Gibson’s cyberpunk tale was a culmination of various cult influences and pressure from a looming deadline. We’re introduced to body modifications, cybernetic implants, and ‘the matrix’ – an online information highway. Bear in mind that the World Wide Web wasn’t invented by Tim Berners-Lee […]

Ripple Grove Press Interview – Fantasy in Children’s Picture Books

When I was at Portland State University going for a master’s in book publishing (Yes, that’s a real thing!), I had the amazing opportunity to work one-on-one with some local publishers. One such opportunity was my internship with a family-owned, children’s picture book publishing company called Ripple Grove Press. The owners, Rob and Amanda, were […]

Paternus: Wrath of Gods by Dyrk Ashton

Stephen Hawking meets the Dalai Lama. (And they agree on everything about the universe.) In my review of Paternus: Rise of Gods, I mentioned my first impression was it felt like an urban fantasy; though neither it nor Paternus: Wrath of Gods belong to that genre. In the end, I compared Rise of Gods to American Gods […]

Paternus: Wrath of the Gods by Dyrk Ashton

Stephen Hawking meets the Dalai Lama. (And they agree on everything about the universe.) In my review of Paternus: Rise of the Gods, I mentioned my first impression was it felt like an urban fantasy; though neither it nor Paternus: Wrath of the Gods belong to that genre. In the end, I compared Rise of […]

Dark Moon by Meredith Ann Pierce

Meredith Ann Pierce doesn’t miss-a-beat with the second instalment of her wonderfully original Firebringer Trilogy, Dark Moon. But before I begin, I feel that the following needs to be stated. Anyone that might be wary of reading Pierce’s Firebringer Trilogy solely based on the fact that it is unicorn fiction, you are missing-out on a […]

Cold Iron by Miles Cameron

Cold Iron follows the exploits of Aranthur Timos, a poor but conscientious student, at a university called The Academy, which can be found in a city called the City. The City seems to me to be a fusion of Byzantium and Renaissance-era Venice, possibly with some elements of the Holy Roman Empire and the actual […]

Monthly Short Story Winner: Magic and Technology

This month we had our entrants write a story in a world where traditional fantasy with magic and science fictional technology coexist. Or meet. Or clash. Or fight. There are only two books I can think of at the moment that fit this genre. One is a German fantasy saga which was never translated to […]

Help Us Choose the Best Fantasy Novel of 2018!

Greeting Factioners! If you are in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! If you are not, happy Thursday! But wherever you are, today is an exciting day! It’s time to help us pick the best fantasy novel of 2018! Traditionally published, indie published, self-published, if it came out in 2018 it qualifies. Each person can nominate as […]

Rex Draconis: Lords of the Dragon Moon by Richard A. Knaak

While Narnia and Middle Earth were my gateways to fantasy, the Dragonlance world of Weis and Hickman made me a fantasy reader for life. Adding to the core storyline was Richard Knaak, with his Dragonlance standalones. The Legend of Huma and Kaz the Minotaur have sat on my various shelves and spent brief sojourns packed […]