#Highfire                              @JoFletcherBOoks                        @EoinColfer

 

9781529402049

This is a bit strange. I was asked to participate in this blog tour and as the storyline was very appealing (a vodka-swilling dragon) I gladly agreed to review Eoin Colfer’s first adult fantasy book (he is the author of “Artemis Fowl”).

But unfortunately they forgot to mention my blog on their “blog visual”…

Oh well,things do happen and I am, notwithstanding this little hiccup ,looking forward to spending some time with a quirky dragon.

Just what the doctor ordered….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@JoFletcherBooks @JaimeLeeMoyer #Brightfall

Brightfall - Jaime Lee Moyer

 Not all is well in Nottingham forest. Several ex-Merry Men,companions of Robin Hood, and their family members are found dead. The circumstances are a bit suspicious as they are all found staring in the void without any visible cause of death. Robin has left his Marian(and their two children )some twelve years previously and entered a monastery(where Brother Tuck is the abbot).Why he did so is not very clear,at least not at the beginning..So Brother Tuck asks Marian, who is a wise woman with the “sight”, to find some information. This quickly leads her to the Fae,basically a parallel world inhabited by,of course the Fae,but which is also steeped in rather amazing magic. The Lady Fae also asks Marian for her help because they too are worried about those killings. So an improbable fellowship is formed:Marian, a very reluctant Robin,Jack,a family member of one of the victims,Bert,a rather flamboyant Fae,Birgit,a real vixen and Julian,a more than adorable dog. This is basically an adventure story immersed in magic,extraordinary powers and a bit more magic. It has so much potential but it is a bit long winded. When Marian encounters yet another site of dark (or not) magic the details are so extensive that they interfere with the flow and the rhythm of the story which is a pity because it is really a good storyline. But nobody wants to skip passages because they are not always relevant or even very interesting. That said,the flow picks up at the very end but leaves the reader with some serious questions. I could be wrong,but I think a follow up is a possibility… So,all in all,good storyline,interesting characters but way,way too much descriptions and details.
3,5 stars.

Blog blast _ 5th September

@JoFletcherBooks @JaimeLeeMoyer #Brightfall

Another one I am really excited about (mind you,the gorgeous cover might have something to do with…)

It’s been a mostly quiet life since Robin Hood put aside his pregnant wife Marian, turned his back on his Merry Men and his former life and retreated to a monastery to repent his sins . . . although no one knows what was so heinous he would leave behind Sherwood Forest and those he loved most.

But when friends from their outlaw days start dying, Father Tuck, now the Abbott of St Mary’s, suspects a curse and begs Marian to use her magic to break it. A grieving Marian must bargain for protection for her children before she sets out with a soldier who’s lost his faith, a trickster Fey lord, and a sullen Robin Hood, angry at being drawn back into the real world.

It’s not long before Marian finds herself enmeshed in a maze of secrets and betrayals, tangled relationships and a vicious struggle for the Fey throne.

And if she can’t find and stop the spell-caster, no protection in Sherwood Forest will be enough to save her children.

A wonderful re-imagining of Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Someone is murdering the Merry Men – and if Marian doesn’t stop them, her children will be the next to die. Perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik and Christina Henry.

 

Blog blast _ 5th September

 

 

 

 

 

#LostAcre #RotherweirdTrilogy @JoFletcherBooks

Lost Acre - Andrew Caldecott

This is the third instalment of the Rotherweird trilogy. Evil is back in Rotherweird and it has a name, Gervon Wynter. As is seen all over this planet, some are charmed by this power and support his masterplan although not many of them have a clear view what this plan exactly represents. And then there is the Resistance,ordinary, well perhaps not so ordinary, townspeople and country people. Of course the weird city of Rotherweird, an Elizabethan anachronism, plays a major role in this story as do many major and minor characters. Still one of the best characters in these stories is the city of Rotherweird. It is slightly gothic,Dickensian, there is a touch of horror in it ,but it is foremost absolutely captivating. This world building ,although complex,is done with great skill and is one(of the many)attractive features. As this is the third part of the trilogy it is fair to warn the readers that this is definitely not a standalone novel. If you have not been introduced to Rotherweird and its quirkiness, nor to some history or characters it is really unreadable. And as with all trilogies, especially fantasy,you are either completely mesmerized by it or you absolutely hate it! Well,I was very happy that I read it as it gave me many hours of sometimes confusing,sometimes marvelous and very often amazing pleasure.