I’m rounding out my reviews of recently finished novels with the epic fantasy Malice by John Gwynne. I’ve admired his brilliant book covers for years at my neighborhood Barnes & Noble and finally got around to reading his debut novel. Better late than never, as they say. My first observation is how squarely this book…
I’ve been away from the blog for nearly three months, although there’s been a good reason for my absence — I’ve been working feverishly to finish the final book in my Dragon-Myth Cycle trilogy, and a complete draft is nearly in sight! But I am way behind on writing reviews for books I think my…
It’s been a while since I’ve delved into High Fantasy. This type of fiction is the legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien – fantasy tales with an epic scope set in a world of elves, dwarves, and men. It’s the fantasy I grew up with crafted by Tolkien’s successors: Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and, more…
The Stand miniseries wrapped up last week with the series’ best episode, in my opinion. The episode was an extended epilogue written by Stephen King for the show. It ties to the book’s epilogue, but it’s really a story about Fran Goldsmith and how she finally had to make a stand. I only wish the…
My recent foray into the works of Fritz Leiber inspired me to re-read one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. So, this weekend I dove into Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné. I grew up on Elric. There was no hero more complex, more tragic, or more dangerous than he was. Elric is a…
Of all the books I read in 2019, Lost Gods by Brom was my favorite. It’s rather mind-blowing that it’s taken me a half-year to blog about it, but then again, basically everything that’s happened in 2020 has been a distraction from writing. But as they say, better late than never! Long before I discovered…
George R.R. Martin promised a “bittersweet” ending to A Song of Ice and Fire. Nothing about that promise suggested there would be a fairy tale ending where Daenerys and Jon lived happily ever after. And after reflecting on the finale of Game of Thrones, I am convinced of one thing: Game of Thrones was meant…
When the bells tolled, Daenerys had a choice. She could have accepted the surrender of King’s Landing, as Tyrion encouraged her to do. Instead, she chose to become the Queen of Ashes and burn them all. Is Daenerys Beyond Redemption? Once upon a time, Daenerys Targaryen stole our hearts. She was the Breaker of Chains,…
With only two episodes left, “The Last of the Starks” has set up the endgame of Game of Thrones. Here are my thoughts on where the show seems to be heading. Cersei Is Winning … For Now Last week I predicted that some of the characters who survived “The Long Night” won’t survive Cersei Lannister….
The ending of “The Long Night” was one of the most jaw-dropping moments ever on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Never in a million years did I expect the episode to end the way it did—and only halfway into the final season no less! But now that the Battle of Winterfell has reached its shocking conclusion,…
The second episode of the final season of Game of Thrones, titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” could very well have been titled “the Night Before Everyone Dies.” Because I fear the cast of characters we’ve grown to love is about to be thinned out dramatically. Here are three thoughts heading into the battle for…