Friday Face Off : Mirror, Mirror on the wall
7 September 2018
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Mark Lawrence, Prince of Fools
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below – the list has been updated to help out those of you who like to plan ahead – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. This week’s theme:
‘Mirror, Mirror on the wall – A cover featuring a queen
I suspect I may have used this cover before but I don’t recall 100% so I’m using it again. I did have a couple of others in mind but plumped for this one – and if you’re thinking ‘hang on, where’s the queen – check out the bottom left cover:
My covers:
My favourite this week:
Which is your favourite?
Next week – a cover featuring a wolf or wolves
Future themes: (if you’re struggling with any of these themes then use a ‘freebie’ of one of your favourite covers)
14th September – “He had killed man, the noblest game of all, and he had killed in the face of the law of club and fang.” – A cover featuring a wolf or wolves
21st September – ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ – a cover featuring clouds
28th September – Eyes wide shut – a cover featuring eyes
5th October – “He sounded like a man who had slept well and didn’t owe too much money.” – A cover that is ‘noir’
12th October – “The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.” – A cover for a mystery novel
19th October -“If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!” – A horror cover
26th October – Trick or treat – A halloween inspired cover
2nd November – ‘Remember, remember the fifth of November,’ – A cover inspired by Bonfire Night
9th November – ‘All right! They’re spiders from Mars! You happy?’ – A cover feturing a critter of the eight legged variety
16th November – There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.’ – A scary cover
23rd November – ‘The child is in love with a human. And not just any human. A prince!’ – A cover featuring a mermaid/man
30th November – “..the children of the night. What music they make!” – a cover with a vampire
7th December – ‘I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.’ – A cover featuring a hero
14th December -“Heavy is the head that wears the crown” – A cover featuring a crown
21st December – ‘ho, ho, ho’ – A seasonal cover
28th December – A freebie – choose one of your favourite titles and compare the covers
2019
4th January – A cover that is fresh – New beginnings for a New Year
11th January – ‘I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king’ – A cover that depicts a novel set in the Tudor period
18th January – A cover featuring an Amulet – either in the cover or title
25th January – ‘Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.’ – A cover featuring a monk/priest/person of the cloth
1st February – A comedy cover
8th February – ‘Hi little cub. Oh no, don’t be ssscared.’ – A cover with snakes
15th February – A heart – for Valentine’s day past
22nd February – “Woe, destruction, ruin, and decay; the worst is death and death will have his day.” – A cover with abandoned building/s
1st March – ‘who will buy this wonderful morning’ – A cover featuring a shop or market
8th March – ‘Two little fishes and a momma fishy too’ – A cover featuring a fish/fishes or other sea creatures
15th March – ‘Beware the moon, lads.’ – A cover with a shapeshifter
22nd March – ‘A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse’ – A cover featuring a king
29th March – “I thought unicorns were more . . . Fluffy.” – A cover featuring a unicorn
5th April – ‘nomad is an island’ – A cover featuring a desert landscape
12th April – ‘Odin, Odin, send the wind to turn the tide – A cover featuring a longboat
19th april – ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – A cover featuring a school
Better a witty fool than a foolish wit..
11 March 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book cover art, Books by Proxy, Prince of Fools, The Friday Face Off
The Friday Face Off (FFO)
Today is the start of a weekly meme being hosted by Books by Proxy called The Friday Face Off. I confess that I’m a bit of a book cover tart. Lets face it – the cover is what first attracts your eye after all. The rules are fairly simple and can be found here. Each week, following a predetermined theme choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Simples. This week the theme is:
~ A Freebie! ~
This week I’ve chosen the Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence and here are the covers for the UK/US versions:
UK: Harper Voyager. US: Ace.
I like both of these covers. I enjoy the red of the UK and the very stylised queen in the background. I like the font style and colour but, my favourite is the US version in this instance.
Winner:
Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence
19 May 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: book No.1, Mark Lawrence, Prince of Fools, Red Queen's War
Just finished reading Prince of Fools (PoF) by Mark Lawrence – who is definitely becoming one of those authors that I simply must read and eagerly anticipate his next in series.
Now, the next few sentences, I’ve unashamedly stolen because I don’t want to go too much into detail plotwise (and also I think you just need to read it yourself):
“The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire fear her as they fear no other.
Her grandson Jalan Kendeth is a coward, a cheat and a womaniser; and tenth in line to the throne. While his grandmother shapes the destiny of millions, Prince Jalan pursues his debauched pleasures. Until he gets entangled with Snorri ver Snagason, a huge Norse axe man, and dragged against his will to the icy north.”
I’m sure that I’m not the first, and probably won’t be the last to say this but I approached this book with almost equal measures of anticipation, expectation and trepidation. After all, this isn’t Jorg but it is the Broken Empire and I wondered if ML could work his magic again or whether Jal might become a little bit like Jorg in disguise. I don’t think I can deny that when I started reading I was thinking of Jorg. Then I mentally slapped himself as frankly I don’t think it’s fair to an author to have that mindset when you’re reading the next new series. Of course you compare, it’s inevitable, but I wanted to give this the same opportunity as I would have if I’d never read any of ML’s books before – so, yes, mental slapping went on! It may be that some people see similarities between the two but fortunately for me this wasn’t the case. The only similarities that I found was the consistency of the writing, the creativity and the sense of humour that ML undoubtedly manages to inject into some fairly dire situations.
So, we return to the Broken Empire but we not only go back for a visit but we also go back in time and look at things not only from a different kingdom but from a time when Jorg was still on his path of vengeance. We enter the realm of the Red Queen, a woman of iron – but then, seriously, she wouldn’t be ruling in this realm if she wasn’t. At the start of the story, apart from being introduced to Jal as he escapes a compromising situation, all the Queen’s family have been summoned. She’s brought them together to talk to them of grim portents for the future and doors that are opening that should remain closed. Of course, Jal, with his mind on other things is barely listening.
To the characters. Jal is basically a coward and a womaniser. Throw in a bit of gambling, creativity with the truth and the ability to whack a man over the back of the head (when he’s not looking) and you have something of his measure. However, as you find out as you read on, you don’t have the full measure. Jalan is his own worst critic and as the story gains momentum you come to understand that he’s got more to him that he would have you believe. Yes, he wants out of the situation he’s in particularly if it’s a bit hair raising, and occasionally he tries to think of the easiest way to do so, but on the whole he’s not as bad as he likes to make out (and a LOT of people would try and find the easier way out of a tricky situation if they could)! He’s known as a hero in his heartland due to falling into a spot of bother whilst trying to run away from another. But, really, don’t be fooled by Jal’s own self evaluation. Read it and see. Now, on top of this, we have another character who Jal travels with, well becomes inextricably linked with is probably more to the point! Snorri ver Snagason – a gigantic norseman with an axe to grind – and literally he does have an axe – and is on a rescue mission. I could give a little air punch here but you won’t see it so I’ll just say that this story has Vikings!!! And, need I really say more. I really liked Snorri – he’s a great big no nonsense character. He smiles at trouble and definitely laughs in the face of impossible odds. I just loved him down to his (probably) furry boots and his grisly beard. Woof!
The setting – well, we are back to the Broken Empire but in a strange sort of way I felt like I visited more of it in this book than with Jorg. That could be true, or I could just be mislead but this particular plot feels a lot more vast in scope and seems to range far and wide taking in many landscapes! The two of them trek from here to there and then from there to here. Sometimes they get caught up in fights. Occasionally they have horses to ride. There are skirmishes along the way. There are shady characters and even Jorg makes a surprise appearance.
In terms of the writing – ML undoubtedly has a gift with words. He can make you feel comfortable with a character or envision a setting with ease. He doesn’t info dump and his writing flows in a very easy to read fashion.
Without a doubt, what made this novel so good for me was the fact that it almost feels like old school fantasy. We have Jal and Snorri bound on an adventure. Sometimes they find inns along the way, quite often they find trouble and they also find friendship. On top of that I found myself caring about both characters which I think is an accomplishment in itself. Old school-modern style. It of course has a few unexpected twists along the way and for your entertainment there are witches, circuses, fortune tellers and zombie type soldiers.
I received a copy of this book through the publishers. The above is my own opinion and I would certainly recommend this book to fantasy lovers.
I am submitting this for my Once Upon a Time event over at Stainless Steel Droppings and also my 100 books challenge.
Prince of Fools and other bits and bobs!
Yes, so many good books to look forward to:
I danced ‘The Happy Dance’ when this arrived! Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence
The following were given to me:
- Wonder by R J Palacio
- The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale
- Rags and Bones by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt
- Night Broken by Patricia Briggs (currently reading)
Also:
- A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish
- These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
- Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty
- Fire by Elfgren and Standberg
- Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon
- The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
- Allies and Assassins by Justin Somper
- The Trouble with Fate by Leigh Evans
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- Lips Touch by Laini Taylor – which has the most beautiful illustrations:
Daylighters by Rachel Caine
Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb
- Gilded by Karina Cooper
- Corroded by Karina Cooper
- The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris
- The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough
- Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
- The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty
- The Written by Ben Galley (free for Kindle)
What you all reading/looking forward to reading at the moment??