Cursed by Benedict Jacka I love the idea of Alex Verus, a mage whose main/only real skill is divination. It’s such a clever concept, to have a protagonist with a “soft” skill like seeing the future who nonetheless uses it to avoid bad guys and rain down comeuppance on those who thwart him. Verus is …
Tag: magic
Nov 04
Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab This refreshingly original novel helped restore my faith in high fantasy after so many D&D McFantasyland adventures. It’s set in London and London and London, three different Londons in parallel universes with differing amounts of magic in each, the most familiar of which being “Grey London” which …
Feb 27
Book Review: A Discovery of Witches
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness I’d heard about this book, and more to the point, seen in on the bookshelves of people who share my taste, so I was excited to get the audiobook from audible. It’s a huge tome, something like 27 hours to listen to, so it’s a time investment of …
Dec 26
Book Review – The Republic of Thieves
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch The events of this novel are highly influenced by Red Seas Under Red Skies so don’t do what I did and let most of a decade pass between reading the previous one and this one. Scott Lynch doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to worldbuilding and complicated …
Dec 05
Book Review: The Well of Ascension
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson This novel picks up where the first one left off, with the band of scoundrels who have managed to take over the empire trying to hold onto their victory. Elend Venture has taken over as king, but he’s more of an idealist and a scholar and is having …