Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally. Golly, what a day..
19 March 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Bards, Fantasy Review Barn, Tough Travelling
This week over at The Fantasy Review Barn Nathan is once again taking us Tough Travelling through the tropes of fantasy and this week we’re in for a jolly old time of it looking at examples of MUSICIANS/BARDS
BARDS often join questing parties and provide entertainment around the campfire. Sometimes their music even holds a little bit of magic. Or a clue to an ancient mystery. Or…
Allan a Dale is a minstrel in Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men.
Hoid from the Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. Bit of a court jester with a sharp tongue, a keen eye and he also has the ability to jump between Sanderson’s books.
Ann McCaffrey’s Pern books – now I’ve only read the first one – but, I’m pretty sure that I’ve got another one about a Dragon singer? That’s perhaps a bit of a cheat but….
The Painted Man by Peter Brett – Rojer – plays a mean fiddle – in spite of losing a couple of his fingers during an attack.
Kvothe, Name of the Wind and Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss – his parents belonged to a troupe themselves and Kvothe is a talented musician who earned his own set of pipes.
Mike Allen’s Black Fire Concerto – the two leading ladies (Erzelle and Olyssa) utilise their music to perform magic.
Honorary mention:
The Hobbits – I had to go there. But, come on, they’re always singing songs and telling poems. And actually the dwarves can wax a bit lyrical as well!
Shakespeare himself – something of a poet after all:
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind”
Lord what fools these mortals be!
11 March 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fae, Fantasy Review Barn, Tough Travelling
This week over at the Fantasy Review Barn we are once again tough travelling with our trusty guide Nathan. This week our topic for discussion is FAE
Surprisingly not in the Tough Guide. How can this be? Fairies are a constant in the fantasy world and it is time they get their own week. Give us your Fae, be they sweet or nasty.
- The Rebel Angel series by Gillian Philip – sithe – some of these are nice (Seth) – some not so much (Kate McNiven)
- Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier – good old fashioned style fae, tricky, beautiful, ethereal – be careful what you agree to.
- Tithe/Valiant and Ironside by Holly Black – I loved this series and it’s the first I read that portrayed the fae as maybe not always so nice!
- The Tiffany Aching Series by Terry Pratchett – first the Wee Free Men, a type of fae (pictsies??) and then in the Wintersmith Tiffany gets embroiled with fae – if I remember correctly?? Maybe it wasn’t this book – doh – Nathan, chuck me a bone??
- Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – ‘methought I was enamoured of an ass!’ Full of Fairies – The King and Queen of the fae no less not to mention pesky Puck.
- Alex Bledsoe’s The Hum and the Shiver – appalachian fae – a unique read. Very good.
- The Blue Girl by Charles deLint – ghosts and fae in Newford Town – I’ve only read the one from Newford but I do intend to return.
- Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series – great books
Can I say the elves from LotR – and perhaps somebody can help me out here – are elves sort of related, in a far removed kind of way, to fae?? Or no????
‘My own brother, a goddamn shit-sucking vampire’
4 March 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Tough Travelling, Vampires
This week over as the Fantasy Review Barn Nathan is taking us Tough Travelling looking at vampires:
VAMPIRES are increasingly rare on the TOUR. They have been attracted over to the Horror Tour by offers of better pay. Where they appear, you will find up to date Vampires wear expensive sunglasses and wish to drain you of energy rather than blood.
- Dracula from Bram Stoker – you have to have Dracula on this list he’s one of the originals
- Iuda from Jasper Kent’s Danilov Quintet – this is one nasty sucker (had to go there)!
- Fort from Generation V by M L Brennan – one of the younger vampires
- Joshua from Fevre Dream by GRRMartin – based on board a steamship that sails the Mississipi
- Eric from Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series – a rather fine specimen of towering viking vampireness!
- Stefan from Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson – how can you resist a vampire who rides around in a Scooby Van!
- Barlow from Salem’s Lot by Stephen King – that’s one vampire that scared the bejeebers out of me!
- Lestat from Ann Rice’s Interview with a Vampire – ‘Claudia…You‘ve been a very, very, naughty little girl.’
- Constantine from Sunshine by Robin McKinley – a very good story, set in a world where vampires and humans went to war, Sunshine has a rare ability that she uses to help Constantine
- Quinn from Kathleen Tierney’s Blood Oranges – part vampire part werewolf
And I’m drawing a line under it as I could go on and on!!
“Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future..”
25 February 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Chessmasters, Fantasy Review Barn, Tough Travelling
Today at the Fantasy Review Barn we are once again travelling through the tropes of fantasy. This week’s topic is Chessmasters:
A true master knows where all the pieces are at all times. Others may think they have taken control but alas, the master knew their last move before they played it.
Kelsier – from Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson – he really did think ahead! And, I can’t say more because it will contain spoilers!
Locke Lamora – from the Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch – planning ahead is his forte really – it might not always (ahem) go accordingly but he certainly does try!
Jorg – from Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire. Now here is a guy who can forward plan – bloody hell! He has all sort of things just set up ‘in case’.
Voldermort – okay, things might not have gone brilliantly for our slippery friend but come on, he had the foresight to plant horcruxes – that’s your thinking ahead right there.
Folks – I’m afraid I struggled a little bit with this one. No doubt I’ll be kicking myself when I see all your wonderful examples but them’s the breaks.
See you all next week.
Ohh, honorary mention – Sauron – again, things didn’t go just as planned but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. He had wizards to corrupt, orc armies to raise, mercenaries to bring into the game, Gollum to torture and the ring to find – and let’s face it, he didn’t have a body!! Although you could argue that a gigantic eye comes in useful when you’re trying to keep abreast of everything.
‘We are the knights who say ‘ni’ ………. and we want a shrubbery’!
18 February 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Knights, Tough Travelling
Once again Thursday has arrived and Tough Travel is upon us! That’s right, we’re off, following Nathan, from the Fantasy Review Barn, down the yellow brick road to wherever it should lead: This week :
Knights:
Um. Noble rich people on horseback. Come on, you people know what knights are. (Topic provided byMiriam)
Sebastian – I love this character. Strictly speaking he has been banished from Ynnsmouth where he was a knight – however, I’ll let you find out about that for yourselves because I know you’ll be on Sebastian’s side! The Copper Promise and Iron Ghost by Jen Williams
Merry from LotR – you know I had to go there – wasn’t he named a Knight of the Mark for his bravery in battle – plus helping to kill one of the main baddies?? Now, the picture below is not Merry but, you know, I thought we should look at the Mark itself…..ahem.
Sir Guy of Gisbourne from Howard Pyle’s Robin Hood – to be honest I don’t remember a great deal about him but I know he was in that story somewhere!
Jaime Lannister from GRRM’s Game of Thrones. Been a knight for many a long year – whether you like him or not – there it is! I so wanted to put the Hound – but he’s not a knight unlike his rather cruel brother Ser Gregor.
Roiben – a seelie knight and one of the main characters from Holly Black’s Tithe.
Plus – there are lots of Knights – in the Golden Son, by Pierce Brown – my current read!
Them’s my contributions except for one very honourable mention : Sir Didymus from The Labyrinth:
‘Sir Ludo, canst thou summon up the very rocks?’
Books and travelling with Lynn 