Science Fiction and Fantacy Books

The Charm School Review

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The Cold War ended twenty-one years ago, so Nelson DeMille’s popular political thriller The Charm School might not be as thrilling as it was back when it was released in 1988. But it can still be suspenseful knowing that this sort of thing could have really happened. The Charm School focuses on an enormous KGB plot called Mrs. Ivanova’s Charm School, and how it’s going to affect the United States. I won’t spoil anything (especially the plot twist near end), but what follows is some intense political intrigue and some fascinating details on the Soviet Russian lifestyle. DeMille has done a tremendously good job in giving us some insight on not only the tensions between USA and Soviet Union, but also the lives of the Russian people. The buildings, the marketplaces, the music; it may not be 100% accurate, but I’m sure almost everything about it was real back then. The Charm School is a splendid piece of work. The characters in the novel are entirely believable. The flow of the story is just right (except maybe the middle section, which feels a bit slow a few times). Even some of the black humor is perfectly timed. With the exception of the slow middle section of the book, The Charm School is one of Nelson DeMille’s finest. I really recommend it for those who love political thrillers, and for those who are interested in the Cold War and the Soviet Union.

Grade: A-

The Charm School Overview

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Nelson DeMille, delivers an explosive thriller of international intrigue and high-voltage political tension set in contemporary Russia.On a dark road deep inside Russia, a young American tourist picks up a most unusual passenger a U.S. POW on the run with an incredible secret to reveal to an unsuspecting world. The secret concerns “The Charm School,” a vast and astounding KGB conspiracy that stands poised against the very heartland of America. Arrayed against this renegade power of the Soviet state are three Americans: an Air Force officer, who will fly one last covert mission into the center of a mad experiment; an embassy liaison, who will have her hopes for a saner superpower balance brutally tested; and the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station, who will find his intricate dance of destiny and death reaching its devastating conclusion.

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The Poison Throne (The Moorehawke Trilogy) Review

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Fifteen-year old Wynter Moorehawke returns home with her father, to the court of King Jonathan. Her father, Lord Protector Lorcan Moorehawke is a Master Carpenter and Wynter has risen to be a ranked apprentice in the trade, but her father is also a close friend to the King and she has grown up with Razi, the elder illegitimate son and Alberon, the younger Heir. But after years in the North with her father on a mission for the King, they return to find everything mysteriously and frighteningly changed. Her once robust father is in ill-health after a long sickness, Prince Alberon has mysteriously disappeared along with Lord Oliver who was one of the King’s greatest supporters, the scholarly Prince Razi is being forced into position as the new Heir and the King seems to be going mad–repressing dissent ruthlessly in ways he had previously disdained and using those around him with equal brutality.

Wynter has always known that life at court was hazardous, but now there seems to be danger everywhere and all former refuges, with her formerly strong father, with the support of the princes whom she regards as brothers, with the people of the castle whom were almost like parents to her, no longer secure. Prince Razi is powerless, his friend Christopher is threatened if he does not go along with the King, and Razi worries that anyone close to him, including Wynter and her father, will also be used to control him, so he has to keep his distance. No one knows where Prince Alberon is or what he is up to. The King suspects he is in league to overthrow him and in order to save the Kingdom he will stop at nothing, even if it means destroying his own sons and his old friendship with Wynter’s father, or even resort to using a secret and horrific weapon that even puts fear into the heart of Wynter’s gruff and strong-willed father.

Wynter is thrust into the middle of danger and intrigue. She’s still young enough to long for the safety and security of the past–with her old friends and pleasant way of life–and desires to run from the demands of the future. But she quickly learns that there is no safe refuge and she is forced to act, no matter how unwillingly.

This is an exciting and suspenseful tale, the beginning of a trilogy that will relate the complete story. The characters are wonderfully drawn and very alive, from the servants to the king himself, who can seem both mad and evil and yet very human and understandable. Raji and Christopher are instantly intriguing and sympathetic. Wynter was a bit harder for me to bond with as she is at a pivotal point in her life, still young and uncertain but trying to grow into her abilities as a trained apprentice and someone able to follow in the footsteps of her indomitable father–and at times she seems a little too self-centered and overly concerned with small things. Because of her age and because she’s the point of view character, there is a strong young adult feel to the book, but there’s also enough complexity and other characters to easily appeal to older adults. I’m well in the latter group and am eagerly awaiting the next book.

The Poison Throne (The Moorehawke Trilogy) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780316077064
• Condition: New
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The Poison Throne (The Moorehawke Trilogy) Overview

When young Wynter Moorehawke returns to court with her dying father, but she finds her old home shadowed with fear. The king has become a violent despot, terrorizing those he once loved. His son and heir Alberon has fled into exile and now there are whispers everywhere of rebellion. Meanwhile, Alberon’s half-brother Razi has been elevated to his throne. He struggles to meet his King’s demands while remaining loyal to his beloved brother and to his friend-Wynter.

Now, she must choose- her father or her dreams, her friend or her king, her duty… or her love.

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Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid, Book 3) Review

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Succubus Dreams was utterly engaging with plot and prose to keep readers rapt. (If you found book 2, Succubus on Top, a little slow, you’ll be pleased with this third book in the Georgina Kincaid series.)

Succubus Georgina Kincaid is doing her best to balance her demon-promised duties and her relationship with mortal Seth Mortensen. The two love each other, and do their best to make things work, but Georgina refuses to give in and kiss Seth for more than a few moments. His soul is so pure, and the succubus part of her would quickly pull years off his life for a taste of someone so good. The no-sex thing would be much easier if she didn’t have to sleep with other men to exist.

After her latest fix of a good soul, Georgina climbs into bed next to a sleeping Seth. And she dreams. It feels so real, and the content is so simple: her washing dishes, a little girl playing in the next room. She awakes and nearly all the energy she gained the night before is gone. She’s just as low as before. No one can explain what might have happened, and her boss arch-demon Jerome has no interest in hearing about some fluke drain on energy.

But the dreams continue – always the same scenario – and so does the energy drain. Georgina is the only one overly concerned about this repeat drain, though she utilizes some human resources to look into the issue. To add to her stress, the imp who bartered for her soul is in town with a new succubus – one she’s expected to train. The stress makes her neglect other elements of her life, only adding to the strain of the energy loss.

If that isn’t relatable to everyone, I don’t know what is. That’s the beauty of Richelle Mead’s writing. The characters are real, not just in their dialogue and actions but also with their thought processes. The more we pile on, the more we take for granted the good parts of our lives. Georgina does just that and then some. She’s a strong, stubborn woman, and that leads to her being proud and protective. She makes decisions for Seth and elects to not tell him about certain things to keep him safe. No one likes that, especially not your boyfriend.

With so many things to juggle something is bound to fall, and we feel that pain when it hits. It’s a testament to Richelle Mead’s character development that gut-wrenching scenes in her novels have readers flashing back to similar scenarios in their pasts and/or weeping. We feel for her characters, not just Georgina.

Succubus Dreams is more relationship driven than the previous two Succubus books. There’s still the standard “big bad” to deal with, but things are never black-and-white and I expect we’ll see events of this novel revisited as the series continues.

Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid, Book 3) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780758216434
• Condition: New
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Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid, Book 3) Overview

Some days, a girl just can’t catch a break. . .

. . .especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there’s her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It’s not just that they can’t have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge. Seth’s obsessed with finishing his latest novel, and Georgina’s under demonic orders to mentor the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block.

Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused–especially as the situation with Seth reaches crisis point. Now Georgina faces a double challenge–rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again. . .

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Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan, Book Review

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I’ve been addicted to this series from the start and I think that this was probably the best book so far. As others have said, though, if you haven’t read the rest of the series, this book isn’t for you. It’s for fans of the series.

First thing first.. This book is nonstop action, from the very beginning, until the end. I’ve read a review or two that said that this book lacked a real plot, but I don’t agree. This book is about people’s reactions to Rachel’s use of black magic and of the knowledge that she’s more than a witch. Most of the time, the people trying to kill her seem like complete tools but they cause more than enough trouble in Rachel’s life. Not just in their attempts to kill her (and the people that she loves) but by simply shunning her.
Rachel’s acceptance of who and what she is also plays a large part in the story.. Though she may not like that she’s different, she has come to accept that she’ll never be like other witch’s to a much larger degree than she had before and she’s also begun to realize that black magic, despite what others may think, may not always be bad. In addition she’s also started to accept her place in the ever-after as well as the world that she grew up in. Rachel grew a lot in this book.

***Spoiler***

Someone mentioned in another review that not enough time seemed dedicated to the death of Jenks’ wife and his mourning for her.. But I think that it was. Given that this book, the entire series really, centers around Rachel’s life, I think that it was done very well. Even after the chapter surrounding her death and trying to keep Jenks from dying as a result, it’s mentioned many, many times that he’s still depressed. Rachel observes changes in his personality, the way that he holds himself and even the color of his wings/dust, which are a result of his wife’s death. He is busy and I think that being kept on his toes has a lot to do with him not breaking down again or holing himself off. Everyone deals with death differently and as we should all know by now, the lives of pixies are very different from the lives of others, which has a large effect on how they deal with emotions.

Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan, Book Feature

• ISBN13: 9780061138034
• Condition: New
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Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan, Book Overview

In New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison’s most complex and nuanced adventure yet, bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan fights a deadly battle—mind, body, and soul

Black Magic Sanction

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she’s never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.

It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

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Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #3: Paragon Review

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I thought Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #3: Paragon was as good as Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #2: Skyborn. A short, entertaining read about the new culture the sith have built on this unknown planet. The native species reactions to this new culture are hinted at as well. A good short story about this new world that they are setting up.

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #3: Paragon Overview

Don’t miss Star Wars: Lost Tribe of The Sith: Paragon a FREE original e-book short story, the third in a series that reveals the untold story of the Fate of the Jedi’s forgotten Sith castaways, their battle to survive, and their quest to re-conquer the galaxy! Paragon includes an exclusive excerpt from Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Backlash (Del Rey Hardcover, available March 9th) and offers a unique look into the backstory of events that have begun to unfold in the Fate of the Jedi series. Darkness VisibleThe ruthless cunning of the Sith Order has served the shipwrecked crew of the Omen well on the alien planet Kesh. Subjugating the superstitious Keshiri race by posing as its fabled overlords has ensured the Sith’s survival-while they struggle in secret to return to the stars. But after fifteen years on their adopted world, some among the lost tribe have grown restless and fearful that assimilation will consume their Sith heritage. Now, as rival factions begin to appear, a shocking disaster throws into doubt the Sith’s future on Kesh. In the distant city of Tetsubal, the entire native populace is suddenly wiped out by a grisly plague of unknown origin. With terrifying speed, more cities succumb to the mysterious contagion. Only the Sith remain unharmed-so far. And as Sith commander Yaru Korsin grapples with the looming loss of the paradise he rules and the race his people have come to depend upon, he must confront the dark possibility that the catastrophe may not be cruel fate but insidious sabotage.

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Every Dead Thing (Cs) Review

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Reading Connolly is a grisly gruesome experience yet he writes so well that his books would fit as well in the literature aisle as the mystery aisle. I know that is a bit of a nebulous criticism, but perhaps I can explain it better in another fashion. He writes page turners that do not read at all like a page turner. His vivid descriptions, and clever metaphors sound more like Jonathan Franzen than Thomas Harris. I like his Charlie Parker character and I plan to continue reading this talented writer. He is my wife’s favorite author at the moment, and she thinks that all recovering alcoholics should read the series. She doesn’t expect me to understand that statement until finishing book three, Killing Kind. I am not a recovering alcoholic, so I am not sure I will get what she means, but I plan to plow through and find out. By the way, my favorite author has the same last name spelled a bit differently.

Every Dead Thing (Cs) Overview

Have faith. I will find you.

Former NYPD detective Charlie “Bird” Parker is on the verge of madness. Tortured by the unsolved slayings of his wife and young daughter, he is a man consumed by guilt, regret, and the desire for revenge.

When his former partner asks him to track down a missing girl, Parker finds himself drawn into a world beyond his imagining — one where thirty year old killings remain shrouded in fear and lies, a world where the ghosts of the dead torment the living, a world haunted by the murderer responsible for the deaths in his family, a serial killer unlike any other, a monster who uses the human body to create works of art and takes faces as his prize. But the search awakens buried instincts in Parker: instincts for survival, for compassion, for love, and, ultimately, for killing.

Aided by a beautiful young psychologist and a pair of career criminals, he becomes the bait in a trap set in the humid bayous of Louisiana, a trap that threatens the lives of everyone in its reach. Driven by visions of the dead and the voice of an old black psychic who met a terrible end, Parker must seek a final, brutal confrontation with a murderer who has moved beyond all notions of humanity, who has set out to create a hell on earth: the serial killer known only as the Travelling Man.

In the tradition of classic American detective fiction, Every Dead Thing is a tense, richly-plotted thriller, filled with memorable characters and gripping action. It is also a profoundly moving novel, concerned with the nature of loyalty, of love, and of forgiveness. Lyrical and terrifying, it is an ambitious debut, triumphantly realized.

Every Dead Thing (Cs) Specifications

It’s a good idea to avoid reading John Connolly’s debut novel on a full stomach. His descriptions of mutilated murder victims give him honorary membership in the gore wars club. Every Dead Thing is a fast-paced piece of fiction from an author whose regular stomping ground is as a journalist for the Irish Times.

NYPD detective Charlie “Bird” Parker was busy boozing at Tom’s Oak Tavern when his wife Susan, and young daughter Jennifer were mutilated by a killer called the Traveling Man. Consumed by guilt and alcoholism, Charlie soon lost his job, and almost his sanity. Several months on he is sober and ready to get his life back in order. Charlie takes up private investigating. One of his first cases involves the disappearance of a woman called Catherine Demeter. At first this puzzle seems unrelated to the Traveling Man–but Charlie has a gut feeling that the slayer is pulling the strings. “I dreamed of Catherine Demeter surrounded by darkness and flames and the bones of dead children. And I knew then that some terrible blackness had descended upon her.”

The search for Catherine takes Charlie on a whirlwind tour of the South. First to the small Virginian town of Haven, where, some 30 years before, Catherine’s sister Amy was murdered, along with other local children. But the trail turns cold–until a tip from a psychic leads Charlie to the swamplands of Louisiana. The subplots of Catherine’s disappearance, age-old child murders, and the slaying of the Parker family finally unite in the hot, humid terrain. A showdown with the Traveling Man is inevitable.

Every Dead Thing is classic American crime fiction, and it’s hard to believe that John Connolly was born and raised on the Emerald Isle. –Naomi Gesinger

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A Dirty Job Review

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For Moore fans, here is my history with the author’s books.

My wife had read You Suck and loved it. I decided that I’d rather read the first book in the series, Blood Sucking Fiends, rather than jumping in with book #2. Anyway, Bloodsucking Fiends was enjoyable, but I wasn’t hooked.
Next I read You Suck and loved the addition of Abby and felt the book was much better.
Then I gave Lamb a shot and found it to be a little too long, but overall a funny and quite touching book (something You Suck and Bloodsucking Fiends lacked in my opinion).
After that I read The Stupidest Angel and loved it from beginning to end.
Then I read Fool and for the first time I felt Moore had truly created a work of genius. Love love loved it!
Then I read Island of the Sequined Love Nun. It was decent enough but wasn’t on par with Moore’s later books.
And most recently I read Bite Me (the third book in his vampire trilogy). I also loved this book to pieces.
So yeah, that’s my history….so I just finished A Dirty Job and I would place it right up there with Fool as the best work he’s done.

And now my thoughts for new comers and those of you who are already fans.

Many of Moore’s books share the same setting and a few characters, however, you don’t necessarily need to have read his other San Francisco books to enjoy A Dirty Job. If this is the first book of his that you read, you won’t be lost… but I feel that you’d get more out of it if you at least read the Vampire Trilogy first (or just the 2nd and 3rd). If you want a run down of the plot, just scroll up and read the description. I just want to give my basic thoughts on the book.
First, this book is hilarious. Most humorous books merely make me smile silently…but A Dirty Job had me laughing out loud pretty consistently. The book is filled with great characters too. I love Charlie Asher. I love Minty. Little Sophie is written in a way that I almost want to rethink my stance on not wanting children. Just that would be enough for me to recommend this book to someone, but where the book really impressed me was its heart. A Dirty Job is filled with little moments that just take you off guard and tug at your heart strings. Moore has the impressive ability to go from a penis joke and then transition into a poignant scene that puts a lump in your throat.
I wish I could say that this is a completely flawless book, but I did have one small issue with it. The ending seemed a little too rushed. I guess I wanted a little more of an emotional payoff after spending all that time with these people. Don’t get me wrong, there is an emotional payoff, so I guess my complaint is that I wanted a little more time with these characters. If that’s the worst thing I can say about the book, I guess that’s pretty good.

(oh and one last complaint…..the book’s cover is too spoilery!)

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Assassins (Left Behind, Book 6) Review

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This is a wonderful series that I just can’t seem to put down. I’ve read through six books in the series in just over a month. Yes these are fictional books, but they are based on biblical prophesy and it has, in an uncanny way, helped me to begin to understand the end times and why such a loving God would allow such turmoil and destruction. Even those who do not believe should read this series. It is action packed and will take you through all the emotions and bring you close to the characters. I will continue to read the series, as I am excited to read about The Glorious Appearing.

Assassins (Left Behind, Book 6) Overview

After selling nearly two million copies since its release in August 1999, Assassins in now availabe in trade paper! The seven-year Tribulation reaches its halfway mark in the sixth book of the blockbuster Left Behind series, Assassins. Nicolae Carpathia is assassinated, setting the stage for the Great Tribulation.

Assassins (Left Behind, Book 6) Specifications

Is it right to kill Satan’s hit man? Would it help God’s work? This installment in the Left Behind series picks up with Rayford Steele–”believer” and international fugitive–as he struggles with a plan to assassinate Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia. Meanwhile, Carpathia has been busy rebuilding roads, airports, and a cellular/solar satellite phone system–all designed to help him become supreme ruler of the world–and even claim himself to be God. We also find ace reporter Buck Williams anonymously preaching to the masses of believers and converts through his cyberspace magazine The Truth. All the believers in the safe house, including Buck, Doc, Chloe, and Tsion, are suspicious of Hattie–former mistress of Carpathia–who claims to be a believer but may have already compromised their secret location when she tried to buy her way to Europe months before.

Fans of the series won’t be disappointed. Jenkins’s signature writing is at full force. Readers can count on a suspenseful plot, imaginative futuristic thinking, and familiar characters, all of which appear in the opening pages and are sustained until the last cliffhanger scene when God unleashes another earth-shattering disaster.

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Eldest Review

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first off dont listen to Clark Beyer. Learn how to read Clark Beyer. When ajjihad died he said ,”I have one last camand for you,eragon, keep the vardon out of chaos.” and he asked arya to do it becaues she is the fastest there. Then she said “for you”reread the book,clark beyer

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Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen) Review

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This is a review of the whole Malazan Book of the Fallen series, which starts with this book. Plot-wise I won’t say much but this is epic fantasy about 500,000 years of civilizations, gods, and conflict all building to a great convergence. Each book has a discrete plot that intertwines with the other books to creat a massive character driven story.

As a hobbyist world builder I am in awe of this magnificent construction. Mr Erikson and another guy (who writes other books in this world!) used this as a custom AD&D setting for years and finally developed it enough to bring their gaming to life. WOW. I have never seen as intricate a world and that includes Middle Earth. This world takes a whole lot of conventions and doesn’t use them. Huh? Yep, there’s plenty of stuff that’s familiar but completely original. Those aren’t elves, those aren’t orcs, but yes, those are 300,000 year old undead neanderthals.

Not only is the shear scope of the world astounding, the fact that there are SO MANY points of view is great. Mr Erikson manages to tell a story that spans, literally, this whole planet and several “realms” (kind of like pocket dimensions) with races, cultures, and species all unique in perspective. Each character is defined by their culture and background but also their personal experiences. You never feel, reading these stories, that a character is just a fill out the blanks, cookie-cutter construction. Every one of them resonates and has a history.

Something else along that line that I love about Mr Erikson’s writing is that he is able to give each character a unique personality. His dour, succinct characters really feel grumpy and his light-hearted inane characters really seem silly. So often in literature it’s obvious that it’s the same person writing dialog for all the people on the page. Not so here. I am floored that with SO MANY different characters they each remain completely distinct throughout the whole series. It makes the movie in your head that much easier to see.

This is definitely epic fantasy, told from the ground floor. You are in it, as it happens, yet still have the benefit of the overview, the whole puzzle. I’d say that at least half of the story revolves around soldiers because it’s a novel of empire. But it keeps evolving and expanding to include the entire world, so to say it is military fiction is limiting. Every situation grows into every other situation. The second book follows the first one and the third book takes place on a different part of the world at the same time as the second. It is so engrossing to see how all these stories intertwine and create new stories.

One last thing to mention is pacing. One of the benefits of epic stories, with large casts, is that the POV changes often enough to stay interesting. However, Mr Erikson avoids killing the mood by pulling away from something gripping to follow an undeveloped plot line. And I mean he keeps this pacing for 10 big fat novels. That’s impressive.

Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen) Overview

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