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Book Review: Mage’s Blood by David Hair

Mage’s Blood (The Moontide Quartet) by David Hair

Jo Fletcher Books, 2012

ISBN-13:  978-1-62365-014-8

Available:  Hardback, Paperback, eBook(Kindle)

 

Every twelve years, the land bridge known as Leviathan Bridge is exposed by the extreme low tides of the ocean; the Moontides.  Originally built to facilitate trade between the two continents, the bridge has been turned into a tool of war; the Rondian Emperor of the continent Yuros has used it to invade the continent of Antiopia twice in the past.  The next Moontide is approaching, and the Emperor plans to conquer Antiopia once and for all.  This time will be different, though: the people of Antiopia are ready.  Vast armies are amassing on both sides of the bridge. Mage’s Blood focuses on a few key individuals who could change everything: Alaron Mercer, a failed mage forced to make his way in a world that is set against him; Ramita Ankesharan, a simple market girl who only wants to marry her life-long friend and fiance, Kazim Makani; and Elena Anborn, a jaded mage and mercenary caught up in the complexities of politics.  The Moontide has crested. The Third Crusade is set to begin.

Mage’s Blood is a high fantasy adventure that goes beyond the traditional medieval European trappings of the genre, integrating Middle Eastern influences that change tone of the story to something out of the ordinary. The plot was complex and well-paced, although I had some trouble following all of the twists and turns.  The descriptions were well done and set the stage for the action to emerge.  The action and fighting sequences were very detailed and painted a great picture of what was happening.  The characters were fun to read, as their voices were distinct, and it was easy to keep track of who was speaking.   All in all, a good read, and I will be reading the next installment in the series, Scarlet Tides.  I have not read this author’s work before. Recommended.

Contains:   Sexual Situations, Swearing

Reviewed By:  Aaron Fletcher

Posted on April 19, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Things Slip Through by Kevin Lucia

Things Slip Through by Kevin Lucia

2013, Crystal Lake Publishing

ISBN 978-0992170707

Availability: paperback

 

In the small Adirondack town of Clifton Heights, four friends have gathered for their weekly poker night. Chris, the town sheriff, has decided he’d rather have answers than play cards. There have been strange disappearances since Chris came to Clifton Heights a year ago, disappearances that he has been unable to solve. Gavin, a teacher and former writer, is the one who will give Chris the answers he seeks. Gavin hands over a journal with short stories he has written about the strange happenings, from the original shooting that brought the four friends together, to Gavin’s story of alcoholism and redemption, as well as what happened to those who seemingly disappeared into thin air. As Chris reads through the stories, he ends up with even more questions.

Things Slip Through is a short story collection brilliantly disguised as a novel. Kevin Lucia spins an entertaining tale that allows the individual stories to seamlessly coalesce into one story of a very weird and creepy little town and some of its odd residents. The characters are well-developed, and I really empathized with Chris and his unique situation. Lucia’s prose is dark, sharp, and inventive and kept me hooked– I read the book in two sittings. I, for one, hope to see some of these characters again, especially the villainous Dr. Jeffers and his disturbing hospital. I highly recommend Things Slip Through. Highly recommended.

Contains: some blood and gore, adult language

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund

Posted on April 16, 2015 by , Reply

National Library Week: Check It Out!

Actually, this has nothing to do with horror, it’s just a fun way to share some library love, with this video from the Topeka-Shawnee Library District.

I went to my library yesterday for the first time in a while, and if you haven’t gone recently, it is a hugely different experience than browsing online. Here’s what I brought home:

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (I thought you folks might like this, but it turns out to be nonfiction on aging and dying. Really good nonfiction, though!)

Redshirts by John Scalzi (very excited about this one– I love Scalzi!)

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami (I just discovered him recently)

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord (because the title is a reference to Voltaire’s novel Candide)

Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey (been reading her books since I started college)

Inventing Imaginary Worlds by Michele Root-Bernstein (looks very cool!)

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore (I’ve read fantastic reviews of this book)

Alice in the Country of Hearts: Love Labyrinth of Thorns by QuinRose, art by Aoi Kurihara

 

Those titles are mainly from browsing the new nonfiction and the science fiction shelves, with a little time spent walking through the general stacks. Horror gets shelved with general fiction there. On the minus side, that means you have to search to find it. On the plus side, you get to browse through general fiction and find possibly interesting books and authors you might not find if they all were together. Honestly, there is nothing like browsing in a library. The person I went with is really not an enthusiastic reader, but she was happy to go. If you want to spend time around people but not have to talk to them, the library is a great place to be.

So do what the people at the Topeka-Shawnee Library District suggest: Check it out!

 

Posted on April 15, 2015 by , Reply
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