My review of The Unspoken Name, by A.K. Larkwood

First, I want to thank Tor for giving me a super-early sneak peek at this. I'm totally honored (and baffled) to be thought of as cool enough to be afforded such a privilege.

And even better, The Unspoken Name is a truly wonderful book. It grabbed my attention on the first page and wouldn’t let go. To me, it’s got the classic feel of the best of Le Guin, while also being progressively fresh, exciting and new, with story and sensibilities akin to something like R.J. Barker's Age of Assassins-meets-Robert J. Bennett's City of Stairs—in a multiverse. There were even sequences that reminded me of some of my favorite chapters in Josiah Bancroft's The Books of Babel and everyone knows how much I love those. It’s genre-bending, like classic fantasy set in a sci-fi world, with fascinating characters, shifting alliances, impossible odds, breathtaking settings, and shocking twists.

Keep an eye out for this one, I don't think you'll be disappointed :)

My Review of Malice by John Gwynne

I haven't been reading a lot of classic epic fantasy lately, and this is just what I needed.

Malice is everything classic epic fantasy should be. Grand battles, epic journeys, sorcery and magic, kingdoms under siege, a young good-hearted lad in training (with a sister who is every bit as talented and tough), giants riding dragons, well-meaning warriors just trying to do the right thing, bad guys trying their damnedest to do the wrong thing, evil gods on the rise, ships and horses and an awesome princess who is really just regular folk, with plenty intrigue, secret identities, and surprise revelations.

Gwynne has a particular knack for beginning, ending, and intercutting chapters, along with raising stakes and building action. The final third had my heart pounding page after page. If you love door-stopper epic fantasy in the classic vein, or if you think you might, Gwynne’s The Faithful and the Fallen series is for you. Very easily a five star rating from me :)

Progress Report - Paternus: War of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy #3)

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm actually very happy with how the writing is going so far. The first act is complete (if you've been reading the series, you know each book has three acts), and I'm well over a third of the way finished with the first draft of the manuscript. I'm an obsessive outliner, so I know exactly where the story is going, I just have to keep producing the words to get there. Without being spoilery, a few tidbits from all the insanity that has happened in the book so far: Fi has managed to recruit herself a century of ogres, Zeke has come face-to-face with the Wendigo, and Baphomet has performed a particularly nasty black mass to summon the devil—much to Tanuki's chagrin. There's a whole lot more going on than that, but we're just going to have to wait to find out what it all entails :)

The projected release date of late Summer still stands. One foreseeable effect on that would be if I do a Kickstarter to help cover production costs for a number of things, including hardback copies of all three books, and possible limited edition hardback and paperback box sets. More than a few author friends and fans have encouraged me to do this. The only problem is that Kickstarters take quite a bit of time and energy and doing one could push the release back a month or even two. I'd love to hear what you think about that if you care to send me an email at undyrk@paternusbooks.com.

That's all I've got for now. I hope everyone is well as we charge ahead into the new year. May it be your best year ever :)

All the best,
Dyrk

My Review of The Ventifact Colossus by Dorian Hart

Ventifact Colossus is delightful read and a great fun adventure. Extremely well written, with a wonderfully quirky cast of characters who are gathered together by a powerful wizard and sent off on grand adventures to save the kingdom, and perhaps the world. Each character experiences growth as they learn to work together as a team, help each other develop their strengths, and learn to overcome their weaknesses.

The RPG influence on the narrative is clear and unapologetic, making for a comfortable story with just the right amount of what we've come to expect balanced with an equal dose of exciting surprises.

Highly recommended for lovers of traditional epic fantasy with an updated feel, and those who might like a break from grim violence, nihilistic narratives and cursing. This is good clean fun suitable for teens but with plenty of action and intrigue to keep grown-ups (like me) excited to see what happens next.

My Review of The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft

I was incredibly lucky enough to receive an ARC - thank you Orbit and Josiah Bancroft!

Once again, Josiah Bancroft amazes. With each of the first two novels in The Books of Babel series, I've thought I had gathered at least some idea of the kind of project Bancroft was trying to accomplish and a decent inkling of how it might proceed. And with each book I've been proven wrong--in the best possible way. The writing is superb, the style and narrative are truly daring, and the world is one of the most imaginative I've ever read. With The Hod King, Bancroft demonstrates even more that he can not only deftly scribe the most intimate and poetic subtleties of life, but also craft a pulse-pounding action scene to rival the best. Thank you, Mr. Bancroft, for another brilliant adventure!