Author: Joe Abercrombie.
Title: Half a King.
Publisher: Del Rey.
Copyright: 2014.
Pages: 346.
Price: $15.00 (US)
Overview and Impressions:
I liked Half a King. Joe Abercrombie has a gift for writing. I wish I could compose prose as well as he does. The novel is set on a Viking Prince named Yarvi. Yarvi is a cripple who's studying to become a minister of the gods. He's on his way to take the take test when fate intervenes.
Yarvi's father and older brother are killed. His mother, the Queen of Gettenland, forces him to become King. Yarvi is betrayed by his uncle and cousin. The story then gets into high gear as Yarvi survives slavery and eventually gets his revenge. There are many twists and turns along the way. I don't want to give away anything else. Half a King is a fast read. Recommend for fantasy readers.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Sunday, May 17, 2015
WIP, 28mm Vikings, 17MAY15
Here are photos of WIP, 28mm Vikings:
WIP, 28mm Viking Bondi on the painting table.
28mm armored Vikings and unarmored Bondi in need of flocking.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Review of The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnought
Author: Jack Campbell.
Title: The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnought.
Publisher: Ace Science Fiction.
Copyright: 2011.
Pages: 368.
Price: $7.99 (US).
Overview and Impressions:
The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnought was the beginning of a new series for Jack Campbell. It featured Admiral John "Black Jack" Geary leading a victorious Alliance fleet into unknown space to find out more about the alien "Enigma" amphibians. There were political dealings and the occasional rescue of Alliance prisoners from Syndicate space as the fleet progressed through human space. Geary's forces finally encountered the Enigma as they went beyond human space into the aliens' territory. In one star system, the Alliance fleet rescues a group of human survivors the Enigma had captured and held captive inside a hollowed asteroid. The book ends with Geary being confronted by another alien force protecting a jump way his fleet intended to use.
Dreadnought was a good read. I started with The Lost Star series and worked my way back to The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier. There was also the original The Lost Fleet series that started with Black Jack Geary being revived from a hundred year hypersleep in deep space. The Alliance slowly lost a century long conflict to the Syndicate Worlds. Until Geary intervenes and led the Alliance to victory. How that happened is the story of The Lost Fleet...
Recommended for military science-fiction fans.
Title: The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnought.
Publisher: Ace Science Fiction.
Copyright: 2011.
Pages: 368.
Price: $7.99 (US).
Overview and Impressions:
The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnought was the beginning of a new series for Jack Campbell. It featured Admiral John "Black Jack" Geary leading a victorious Alliance fleet into unknown space to find out more about the alien "Enigma" amphibians. There were political dealings and the occasional rescue of Alliance prisoners from Syndicate space as the fleet progressed through human space. Geary's forces finally encountered the Enigma as they went beyond human space into the aliens' territory. In one star system, the Alliance fleet rescues a group of human survivors the Enigma had captured and held captive inside a hollowed asteroid. The book ends with Geary being confronted by another alien force protecting a jump way his fleet intended to use.
Dreadnought was a good read. I started with The Lost Star series and worked my way back to The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier. There was also the original The Lost Fleet series that started with Black Jack Geary being revived from a hundred year hypersleep in deep space. The Alliance slowly lost a century long conflict to the Syndicate Worlds. Until Geary intervenes and led the Alliance to victory. How that happened is the story of The Lost Fleet...
Recommended for military science-fiction fans.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Early May 2015 reading...
Real life has interfered with my free time. I had to take care of business last week. I still have some more things in need of accomplishment. But that isn't due until later on in the month.
I spent the weekend reading. The first book I'm working on is Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontiers: Dreadnought. I started backward with the Lost Fleet series. I read The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield first. I then picked up one of The Lost Fleet novels. But I gave that book away as a going away present.
Now, I'm reading Dreadnought. I'm about halfway done with the novel. I've enjoyed it so far. It's now getting interesting. I'll write a full review when I get done with it.
I also have another fantasy book I started called Half a King by Joe Abercrombie. It's a Viking fantasy novel about kingship and betray. I've only gotten into the first couple of chapters. Half a King moves. I like the way Abercrombie writes. I wish I had his way with words. Its good to see an excellent author in action. It's something to aspire.
But I'll confess. I haven't read a fantasy novel in a long time. I used to read tons of sci-fi when I was much younger. I switched over to fantasy when I was in my early twenties. By the time I'd reached thirty, I stopped reading genera fiction. Most of my reading was straight military histories. In fact, there was a period of time I didn't read at all. It's only the past four years I've come back to reading genera fiction again.
My problem is with much of the fantasy novels. They are badly written and sold as mega-series. I'm not going to wade through 2000 pages of badly written fantasy novels by some hack. But that is how most fantasy books are now marketed in the United States. It takes a good writer for me to pick up a fantasy novel.
George R. Martin is one such writer. Another is Gene Wolfe and David Eddings. I enjoyed Glenn Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company. But his later Black Company novels weren't as good as the original series. But I'll also write another review of Half a King when I get done with it.
Regards,
Blake
I spent the weekend reading. The first book I'm working on is Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontiers: Dreadnought. I started backward with the Lost Fleet series. I read The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield first. I then picked up one of The Lost Fleet novels. But I gave that book away as a going away present.
Now, I'm reading Dreadnought. I'm about halfway done with the novel. I've enjoyed it so far. It's now getting interesting. I'll write a full review when I get done with it.
I also have another fantasy book I started called Half a King by Joe Abercrombie. It's a Viking fantasy novel about kingship and betray. I've only gotten into the first couple of chapters. Half a King moves. I like the way Abercrombie writes. I wish I had his way with words. Its good to see an excellent author in action. It's something to aspire.
But I'll confess. I haven't read a fantasy novel in a long time. I used to read tons of sci-fi when I was much younger. I switched over to fantasy when I was in my early twenties. By the time I'd reached thirty, I stopped reading genera fiction. Most of my reading was straight military histories. In fact, there was a period of time I didn't read at all. It's only the past four years I've come back to reading genera fiction again.
My problem is with much of the fantasy novels. They are badly written and sold as mega-series. I'm not going to wade through 2000 pages of badly written fantasy novels by some hack. But that is how most fantasy books are now marketed in the United States. It takes a good writer for me to pick up a fantasy novel.
George R. Martin is one such writer. Another is Gene Wolfe and David Eddings. I enjoyed Glenn Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company. But his later Black Company novels weren't as good as the original series. But I'll also write another review of Half a King when I get done with it.
Regards,
Blake
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