Greetings, Reader! Join me once more as I reminisce about the last month at the Grimoire Reliquary! I’ve read wonderful books, I’ve read good novellas, I even read a couple of forgettable but I regret that not at all – few things offer as many teaching moments to the aspiring writer as mediocrity does! But I’m not here to talk about the bad, I’m here to sing the praises of the exceptionally good with…
MY FAVOURITE FANTASY NOVEL READ OF FEBRUARY
Just so happens to be Rob J. Hayes’ Along the Razor’s Edge, which releases at the end of March. I think it’s a remarkable novel whose control over voice is prodigious. What’s more, the fun Rob has with foreshadowing makes for fantastic build-up, which I have every faith the next two installments in The War Eternal will honour in full.
Further, in the words of a wise guy:
The novel is an intelligent work about the costs of perseverance fuelled by the basest human emotions. As thrilling as this first chapter in Eskara’s tale is, it offers caution too. Though anger keeps her alive – that’s no great spoiler, I think, as the older Eskara’s narration is immediately evident – the urge to lash out at those around her costs our protagonist immeasurably much.
But don’t take my word for it, read the review in full!
MY FAVOURITE SCI-FI READ OF THE MONTH
Roger Zelazny, you brilliant man of brilliance, you, with your platonic fancies and interests in gods and science and wonders big and small. I love you. I ever tell you that? Well, I do, there’s no denying it. There’s something about this one, something that sparkles and glitters in the sun.
Lord of Light is an epic contained in just under a three-hundred page novel. Its ideas are grand and ambitious, as much in the vein of fantasy as in science fiction, the basic structure of much of the novel borrowed from the creation myth of Buddhist lore (heavily based on reality but mythologised after two and a half millennia), the aforementioned Sam taking on the role of prince Siddhartha Gautama. But Sam is not a man to only wear a single hat – his identities throughout the seven chapters of the book are many and the role of destroyer comes as easy to him as that of ascetic philosopher. Whether he believes in what he preaches or not is besides the point.
And here’s my full review of LORD OF LIGHT.
A PAIR OF FUN SCI-FI NOVELLAS
I enjoyed Binti, despite it suffering of a serious structural flaw, a plot hole the size of the Vatican. I wish, badly, this weren’t the case but it is what it is. I am curious to read the second installment, even so. My review you can find here.
Murderbot was fun, and it didn’t shy away from serious questions, either. That one got a four-star score from me and I cannot wait to read more about the likable misanthrope!
A BOOK TOUR REVIEW OF KINGSHOLD
…Which, while ultimately a read with a number of pleasant elements, suffered from some serious issues in terms of pacing and overwriting. A book in sore need of two additional rounds of editing. Fair’s fair, though! I loved the humour most of all, and several other elements showed real promise!
PLENTY OF STAR WARS TALK!
I talked about the Ahsoka Novel! I talked about talking about Star Wars on a podcast! You can find more about both of them here!
I talked about why the CLONE WARS IS SO GOSH-DARN GOOD!
I talked about how the recently-announced HIGH REPUBLIC imprint has my blood boiling with excitement!!!
I don’t have a Star Wars problem. You have a Star Wars problem.
I READ SOME MORE MURAKAMI!
…And felt promptly colourless after. Good times, good times.
A REVIEW OF A GAME!
I love reviewing games. It’s how I excuse spending hours playing them. Some mental gymnastics going on there, as you can plainly see. The video is here:
Hopes and Dreams of March
I was hoping to finish A LITTLE HATRED by Joe Abercrombie – and guess what, after four hours of intense sweating and NO BLINKING WHATSOEVER, I did! Care to wager a guess what my favourite fantasy read of March is?
Other than that, I would love to keep up with one – ONE – regular column on my blog, the Saturday/Sunday Star Wars series! Ah, ’tis free to dream.
Thanks for reading! Looking forward for another month of fun content and emotional torture through empathetic reading!
The Grimoire Reliquary 
So much in one month!
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