Marc Aplin's Blog, page 81
April 30, 2018
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
Under Heaven is the first book in the Under Heaven duology. It is set in a fictionalized version of the Tang Dynasty of 8th Century China and contains a masterful story of family, intrigue and power. “The world is not something to be understood. It is vanity, illusion to even try.” This was my first […]
April 29, 2018
A Fantasy Geek’s Guide to YouTube: RPG Reviews
YouTube is an app, a website and a cultural phenomenon. It’s also a vast and only partially 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. But managing to dig out the channels that cater to your own SFF […]
April 27, 2018
Monthly Short Stories Winner: Alien or Eldritch Artifact
A massive artifact appears all of a sudden and (violently) disrupts the everyday life (of a tribe, a city, a country, the world). It can either be an alien artifact (science fiction) or an eldritch artifact (fantasy). This month, we wanted our entrants to think big. Something huge happens and humanity (or whoever else) barely […]
April 26, 2018
Blackmark by Jean Lowe Carlson
If you’ve followed my reviews on Fantasy-Faction, you know how I nearly gave up on some of my now-favorite books and series like Alec Hutson’s Crimson Queen and Phil Tucker’s Chronicles of the Black Gate. Add Jean Lowe Carlson’s Blackmark, book one of The Kingsmen Chronicles as yet another story I almost threw down after […]
April 25, 2018
John Gwynne Interview – A Time of Dread
John Gwynne not only has one of the best author photos ever, he is also responsible for the critically acclaimed series, The Faithful and the Fallen. This year he has started a new series, Of Blood and Bone. The first book, A Time of Dread, was released in January of this year, and the second book, […]
April 24, 2018
The Way into Chaos by Harry Connolly – SPFBO Review
The city of Peradain is the heart of an empire built with steel, spears, and a monopoly on magic. Until, in a single day, it falls, overthrown by a swarm of supernatural creatures of incredible power and ferocity. Neither soldier nor spellcaster can stand against them. The empire’s armies are crushed, its people scattered, its […]
April 22, 2018
The Goddess Project by Bryan Wigmore
One of the quieter entries into the Best of 2017 list here on Fantasy-Faction, The Goddess Project by Bryan Wigmore, is a unique venture into a complex fantasy world. It combines some traditional fantasy tropes (magical artifacts, all-powerful wizards, and sea monsters) with some less common elements that make it a really interesting mix. And, […]
April 18, 2018
Ruthanna Emrys Interview – Deep Roots
Ruthanna Emrys is the author of Winter Tide (2017), first book in The Innsmouth Legacy series, a wonderful subversion of H. P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth (1936). The series focuses on Aphra and Caleb, two Deep Ones who are the only survivors of the internment camps where the inhabitants of Innsmouth are shipped off […]
April 17, 2018
How Ideas Become Stories
One of the most common questions an author will hear is, “Where do you get your ideas from?” As if that was all you needed to write a successful book. Ideas are important, but they’re not some mystical spark from the divine, if you’re in the right mind-set you can probably come up with dozens […]
April 16, 2018
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
When I started reading Kings of the Wyld it was already quite hyped and I am someone who is rather uncomfortable dealing with stuff which accumulated hype overnight. Thus, I approached the book being extremely skeptical and had a nagging feeling in my gut that it was going to be overrated. Boy was I dead […]
