Marc Aplin's Blog, page 76
August 6, 2018
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
If you’ve not read any of the three titles by Becky Chambers, I suggest you have a little word with yourself and seek them out immediately. If you’ve not heard of Becky Chambers, then where have you been? Her first novel, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was the first book I managed […]
July 31, 2018
The Penitent Assassin by Shawn Wickersheim – Review & New Cover Reveal
With one SPFBO done and another to begin, I’ve taken some time to read some books I’ve been wanting to read for a while, but what with one thing, another, a tonne of my own writing, and real life in the way I never got the chance too. I know, excuses, excuses. Shawn Wickersheim’s book, […]
The Lost Puzzler by Eyal Kless – Cover Reveal
There aren’t a huge amount of fantasy/science fiction hybrids and probably for good reason; it’s a very hard balance to strike. If the reader feels for even a moment that the fantasy elements are there for the sake of being there (i.e. the science fiction elements should have resulted in the civilisation moving on – […]
The Lost Puzzler – Cover Reveal
There aren’t a huge amount of Fantasy/Science-Fiction hybrids in fiction and probably for good reason; it’s a very hard balance to strike. If the reader feels for even a moment that the Fantasy elements are there for the sake of being there (i.e. the Science-Fiction elements should have resulted in the civilisation moving on – […]
July 29, 2018
Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan
This is the second instalment of the Gods of Blood and Powder series and follows the events of the first book, Sins of Empire, with the same three perspectives. The trilogy is set in the same world as his original Powder Mage trilogy. I would categorise it, and his other books, as an epic military […]
July 27, 2018
Jonathan French Interview – The Grey Bastards
Many of you will remember both Jonathan French and his book, The Grey Bastards, as the winners of the 2nd annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off in 2017. Since then the book has been picked up by Crown Publishing and was released last month to high praise from both his longtime fans and first time readers. […]
July 25, 2018
Temporal Anomalies: Timekeeping in Fantasy
Humans are OCD about time. We obsess over birthdays and anniversaries and are ruled by the work week. We live for the weekend and look forward to holidays with either joy or dread, depending on which relatives are coming over. We count the seconds until midnight on New Year’s, and we count the billions of […]
July 22, 2018
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold. Fall in love whenever you can. The last of these rules is particularly difficult for the Owens women to follow, as their ancestor, Maria Owens, laid a curse on her descendants. As she had been crossed in love, […]
July 19, 2018
Crafting A Fall: Turning Heroes to the Dark Side
Who doesn’t love to see a character go bad? A man pushed too far pushing back? A loyal but ambitious servant helping themselves for a change? A noble hero broken down into the blackest villain? To watch a character fall into darkness is a fascinating journey, seeing a character’s values crumble and twist, watching their […]
July 18, 2018
A Fantasy Geek’s Guide to YouTube: RPG Let’s Plays Part Two – Honourable Mentions
YouTube is an app, a website and a cultural phenomenon. It’s also a vast and barely-explored wilderness full of content that ranges from dynamic to dire. Whatever your interests are, there’s probably at least one channel out there for you. Still, managing to dig out the channels that cater to your own SFF needs can […]
