Fantasy Blogosphere

Fantasy Blogosphere: September 20, 2009

Posted on September 20, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

Wow, the DragonCon hangover must have been a ripe one. The fantasy blogosphere has been fairly calm this past week, with only two reviews and some commentary worth noting:

Review: Mistborn @ Keeping the Door
Review: The Dragonbone Chair @ SFFWorld.com
Commentary: Terry Brooks on A Princess of Landover @ Orbit

I’m about to start Mistborn, so I’m saving the above review for after I finished. Its supposedly fantastic.

Luckily, in this lull, we’ve got three new webisodes of The Guild to pass the time. Yee-haw!

The Guild: Season 3, Episode 1

The Guild: Season 3, Episode 2

The Guild: Season 3, Episode 3

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: A Princess of Landover, Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn, Tad Williams, Terry Brooks, The Dragonbone Chair | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: September 13, 2009

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

We’ve got boatloads of fun this week, from reviews of books by Brandon Sanderson, Daniel Abraham, and Mercedes Lackey, to a chat with David Anthony Durham. Tack on the top 25 Babes of DragonCon and a revolution in online gaming, and you’re going to be a busy bee this week.

Review: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians @ Blog Critics
Review: Dawnthief @ Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin’ Girl
Review: The Price of Spring @ Val’s Random Comments
Review: Joust @ Stella Matutina
News: Chat w/David Anthony Durham @ Grasping for the Wind
News: Dragon Haven @ Keeping the Door
News: Top 25 Babes of DragonCon @ Geeks of Doom

Fun Corner

So Warcraft and Warhammer just found themselves some serious new competition. Dungeons & Dragons Online is now free:

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, Brandon Sanderson, Daniel Abraham, David Anthony Durham, Dawnthief, Dragon Haven, DragonCon, Joust, Mercedes Lackey, Robin Hobb, The Price of Spring | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: September 6, 2009

Posted on September 6, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

From Sanderson to Jordan to Hobb, we’ve got a few interesting reviews this week. The review of The Dragon Keeper over at Elitist is particularly harsh. I’m going to have to read this book to form my own opinion, because after just reading Ship of Magic, its hard to believe that Hobb could swing so far from one extreme to the other.

Review: Blood of the Mantis @ Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
Review: Elantris @ A Fantasy Reader
The Path of Daggers @ Adventures in Reading
The Dragon Keeper @ Elitist Book Review
Cast Updates: A Game of Thrones HBO series @ Fantasy Book Review

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: A Game of Thrones, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Blood of the Mantis, Brandon Sanderson, Elantris, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Robin Hobb, The Dragon Keeper, The Path of Daggers | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: August 30, 2009

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

A bit of Karen Miller news this week, and reviews featuring Brandon Sanderson and R.A. Salvatore’s most recent novels. We also found out who will portray the Stark sisters in HBO’s version of George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. Last but most certainly not least, Orbit has been putting out some entertaining fantasy industry stats.

Comment: Karen Miller on The Prodigal Mage @ KarenMiller.LiveJournal.com
Review: Fall of Thanes @ Dark Wolf’s Fantasy Reviews
Review: The Prodigal Mage @ Fantasy Book News & Reviews
Review: The Final Empire @ A Dribble of Ink
Review: The Dame @ BSC
News: Actor update for GRRM’s HBO series @ Fantasy Book Review
Chart: Proof that every fantasy novel must contain a sword @ io9
Chart: Is Urban Fantasy set to takeover the fantasy genre? @ i09

The one item I think is missing from the fantasy novel cover chart is “Mysterious Hooded Figure”. This seems to be overwhelmingly the most recent popular trend in fantasy novel covers. Maybe I’ll round up a few of the covers and post for proof. For the record, out of my collection the Darksword trilogy seems to take the cake; each book cover containing swords and glowy magic, and in two cases the sword is glowing with glowy magic. Pure genius.

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: A Game of Thrones HBO, Brandon Sanderson, Fall of Thanes, Karen Miller, R.A. Salvatore, The Dame, The Final Empire, The Prodigal Mage | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: August 23, 2009

Posted on August 23, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

Admittedly, I skimped a bit on the reviews this week, as I’m just too excited about our “avatar-related” bonus videos.

Review: The Prodigal Mage @ Fantasy Book News & Reviews
Review: Lamentation @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Review: The Dame @ BSC Review
Interview: Ken Sch0les @ Adventures in SciFi Publishing

SUPER BONUS! James Cameron’s (director of Terminator, Aliens, Rambo, The Abyss and Titanic, among others) Avatar trailer:

SUPER BONUS! Video by the cast of The Guild (3rd season starting this Tuesday):

Visit the Guild’s website.

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: Avatar trailer, Date my Avatar video, James Cameron, Karen Miller, Ken Scholes, Lamentation, R.A. Salvatore, The Dame, The Guild, The Prodigal Mage | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: August 16, 2009

Posted on August 16, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

Wow, away for one week and you miss a ton! Here’s a rundown of the happenings in the fantasy blogosphere over the past two weeks.

Review: Furies of Calderon @ Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
Review: Warbreaker @ Fantasy Book Critic
Review: Warbreaker @ Blood of the Muse
Review: The Well of Ascension @ The Wertzone
Review: The Hero of Ages @ The Wertzone
Review: The Light of Burning Shadows @ Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin’ News & Reviews
Review: A Darkness Forged in Fire @ Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin’ News & Reviews
News: Guy Gavriel Kay’s new book @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Spoiler: Bran excerpt from A Dance with Dragons @ Westeros.org
Interview: Karen Miller @ The Mad Hatter’s

Whew! Seems like there’s a lot of people reading Brandon Sanderson and reviewing his work these days. I wonder if taking over the Wheel of Time series for Robert Jordan has anything to do with this popularity.

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: A Dance with Dragons, A Darkness Forged in Fire, Brandon Sanderson, Furies of Calderon, Guy Gavriel Kay, Karen Miller, The Hero of Ages, The Light of Burning Shasows, The Well of Ascension, Warbreaker | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: August 2, 2009

Posted on August 2, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

With the Best Served Cold wave subsiding, we’ve got a variety of news in the fantasy blogosphere this week, stretching all the way to the world of graphic novels.

Comment: Terry Brooks on The Gypsy Morph @ Orbitbooks.net
Interview: Ursula K. Le Guin on The Left Hand of Darkness @ The New Yorker
Review: Downshadow @ Grasping for the Wind
Review: Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman @ Fantasy Book Review
Interview: Tad Williams @ Locus Online
And last but not least, a video interview with Joe Abercrombie:

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: Downshadow, Joe Abercrombie, Marvel 1602, Neil Gaiman, Tad Williams, Terry Brooks, The Gypsy Morph, The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: July 26, 2009

Posted on July 26, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

The fantasy book world is all a buzz with Joe Abercrombie’s latest novel, Best Served Cold. Abercrombie even grabbed commentary from the great one, George R.R. Martin, which is like giving your book’s marketing campaign a shot of nitrous. Vroom vroom!

Before you read the review of Robin Hobb’s most recent publication, Dragon Keeper, beware: it contains spoilers for the previous nine books. I found out the hard way, and let the author know how I felt in the comments section.

Review: Dragon Keeper @ Keeping the Door
Interview: Joe Abercrombie @ GeekDad
Review: Best Served Cold @ Best Fantasy Books
Review: Best Served Cold @ BSC Review
Review: Best Served Cold @ Fantasy Book Reviewer
Comment: GRRM on Best Served Cold @ Orbitbooks.net
Review: The Book of Three @ Sean J Jordan
News: Game of Thrones HBO Series @ SFF Media
News: Patrick Rothfuss @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

What are your feelings on reviews that give away plot details? Do you prefer reviews with plot summaries, or would you rather have a review detail all the aspects possible about the book without giving away any of the story? Let me know!

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: A Game of Thrones, Best Served Cold, Dragon Keeper, George R.R. Martin, Joe Amercrombie, Patrick Rothfuss, Robin Hobb | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: July 19, 2009

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

We’ve got quite an assortment from the fantasy blogosphere this week. From Scott Lynch news to an interview with Chris McGrath, the artist most famously noted for his Dresden Files cover art, it was a busy week:

Chris McGrath (Dresden Files Artist) @ Fantasy/Sci-Fi Girl
The King’s Daughter @ Grasping for the Wind
Scott Lynch news @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Dust of Dreams @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Darkest Hour @ Fantasy Book Critic

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: Darkest Hour, Dresden Files, Dust of Dreams, Scott Lynch, The King's Daughter | Leave a comment

Fantasy Blogosphere: July 12, 2009

Posted on July 12, 2009 by Jeff Pelletier

I first heard about Lamentation by Ken Scholes on the Dragon Page Cover to Cover podcast, where they hailed it as the most anticipated fantasy novel of 2009. A hefty title to ignore indeed. On my most recent trip to the States, I tried to locate the novel at a Barnes & Noble, a Borders, and finally at the Logan airport book store. The clerk at the airport book store looked it up online, and told me the book was not to be released until September.

Lesson learned: don’t trust airport book store clerks who very obviously go to Amazon rather than their own database and find the release of the mass market paperback. Here are some reviews:

Lamentation @ A Fantasy Reader
Lamentation @ Blood of the Muse
Lamentation @ Fantasy Book Reviewer

And as a bonus fantasy blogosphere feature for this week, we’ve got an interview with R.A. Salvatore:

Interview, Part 1

Interview, Part 2

Categories: Fantasy Blogosphere, News | Tags: Cover to Cover, Dragon Page, Ken Scholes, Lamentation, R.A. Salvatore, The Ghost King | Leave a comment